Could it be Vertigo
by sammygirl1963
Summary: When Sam starts having problems with dizzyness, John suspects possible substance abuse. Is he right or could it be something much worse? Sick Sam/ Angsty Dean/ Suspicious John
1. Chapter 1

**Could it be Vertigo**

**Disclaimer: **Supernatural and the Winchesters belong to Erik Kripke and the CW. I am just playing with them for a little while. I own nothing recognizable in this story, nor am I making a profit.

**Author's Note: **Sam is sixteen in this story and Dean is twenty.

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Driving into the small town of Friendsville, Illinois, John ran a weary hand over his face as he glanced into the rear view mirror to see his youngest leaning against the window asleep. Sam had been somber most of the ride and he couldn't really blame the kid since he had been forced to leave close friends behind once again. He knew Sam craved some normalcy and he wished he could give it to the sixteen year old, but his need to find the demon that killed his wife was stronger. "I'm sorry Sammy, but you're just going to have to learn to suck it up kiddo." He whispered before returning his attention to the road once again.

"He'll be fine dad, he just needs a few days to brood is all." Dean informed his dad with a yawn as he rapidly blinked his eyes trying to stay awake. It was nearing two in the morning, and he was trying to make sure his dad didn't fall asleep behind the wheel.

"I thought you were asleep Ace." John stated with surprise as he glanced at his oldest who had been slumped down in his seat for the past hour or so, his chin resting lightly on his chest.

"No sir, just resting a little." Dean replied with another yawn as he rubbed bloodshot eyes with the tips of his fingers. "You want me to take over driving for a little while?"

"Nah, I was planning on stopping for the night at the next motel I see anyway." John replied knowing his oldest was in no shape to drive. Dean was bruised from their last hunt and even though he wouldn't admit it, John knew his oldest was hurting.

"Sounds good to me." Dean stated honestly with the desire to take a quick shower and hit the sack. He was feeling sore all over and the long ride hadn't helped the feeling any. Noticing that the car was slowing down, he looked ahead to see a flashing neon sign proclaiming a vacancy at the Rest Haven Motel.

Pulling into the parking lot, John parked the car in front of the reception office and left the motor running. "I'll be back in a minute." He informed Dean as he opened the door to climb out. Walking inside, he quickly registered them and paid for a room for the night. Returning to the car, he handed Dean the keys and said, "We're in room number twenty two." Driving around back, he parked the Impala in front of the door and shut it down before reaching in the back and giving Sammy's shoulder a light shake.

"Wake up kiddo so you can go into the room and sleep in a real bed." John encouraged with a low voice so as not to scare his son. He watched his youngest open his eyes and noticed how disoriented Sam seemed to be as he glanced around trying to figure out where they were. "We've stopped for the night tiger. You need to get your stuff and then get inside." John said as he got out of the car and then opened the back door for Sam to do the same.

"Yes Sir." Sam answered with a yawn as he climbed out of the car. He suddenly felt a slight case of vertigo from the change in height and swayed upon reaching a standing position.

"Whoa, you feeling alright Sam?" John questioned as he grasped Sam by the arm to steady him.

"Yes Sir, M'just tired is all." Sam responded as he leaned back against the car and shook his head to dispel the vertigo that was assailing him.

"Dean, get your brother inside while I get our things." John ordered as he saw Dean walk around the front of the car to look at Sam with concern in his eyes. He watched as Dean wrapped a supportive arm around Sam's waist and led him inside before walking to the trunk and taking out their duffle bags, along with the weapons that needed cleaning after their last hunt.

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Opening the door, Dean led Sam inside to see a relatively clean room with two beds and a small sofa. Leading Sam over to the bed farthest from the door, he pulled back the comforter and then helped him to sit down on the bed before kneeling down in front of him and untying his baby brother's shoes.

"Dean, I can get that." Sam said as he started to lean down only to lose his balance and start toppling towards the floor. He would have face planted on the floor if it hadn't been for his big brother catching him.

"Shit Sammy, what's wrong with you dude?" Dean questioned as he caught his brother by the shoulders to keep him from hitting the floor.

"Just a little dizzy is all." Sam replied as he raised his hands to his head feeling a light case of nausea bubbling up. He had been feeling a little dizzy for a few days now, but it seemed to be getting a little worse making him wonder if he had an ear infection or something.

"That's probably cause you're still feeling drowsy." Dean said as he placed his hands on Sam's shoulders lightly pushing him back to lay down. "You just get some sleep and you'll feel better in the morning." He stated as he reached down to unbutton Sam's jeans before pulling them off so he could sleep more comfortably.

"Deeean" Sam whined slightly before rolling over onto his side and pulling his legs towards his chest and fading off to sleep.

Lightly brushing his fingers through Sam's mop of hair, Dean wondered if his baby brother was getting sick. Placing his palm on Sam's forehead, he relaxed at finding it cool to the touch. Grasping the comforter with his hand, he pulled it up over Sam and watched him for just a minute. Hearing a sound, he turned around to see their dad placing the duffle bags on the floor as he glanced over at the bed.

"He doing okay?" John questioned as he nodded his head towards the sleeping teen on the bed after having seen Dean checking for fever.

"Yes Sir, I think he's just exhausted is all." Dean answered knowing that Sam hadn't been sleeping too good for the past few nights. He had heard him up and roaming around a few times during the previous nights. When he had questioned Sam about it, Sam had replied that he just had a case of insomnia and not to worry about it.

"You look pretty tired yourself, why don't you go on to bed and I'll take care of protecting the room." John said as he pulled out a canister of salt.

"That sounds good, but I think I'll take a hot shower first." Dean replied knowing it would help his tense muscles to relax. Pulling off his favorite AC/DC shirt, he started walking towards the small motel bathroom. Shutting the door behind him, he turned on the faucets and finished undressing. Climbing into the shower, he sighed as he felt the steaming hot water pulsating over his body. Soaping up a wash cloth, he quickly washed up knowing that his dad would kill him if he didn't leave some hot water for him too.

Stepping out of the shower, he dried off a little before wrapping one of the large terry cloth towels around his waist. Opening the door, he walked out amidst a cloud of steam. "Bathroom's all your's dad." He informed John as he walked over to his duffle bag to get a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt to sleep in. Quickly slipping the items of clothing on, he walked over to Sam's bed and climbed in beside him to sleep knowing that Sammy would sleep better with him near, and besides, his dad would appreciate having a bed to sleep on instead of the small couch provided by the motel.

John smiled as he watched his oldest climb into bed with Sam. He knew Dean was really concerned about the kid when he walked into the room to find Dean palming his forehead. Dean was now in mother hen mode and would be watching over Sammy closely for the next few days whether the youngster liked it or not. Finishing the salt lines, he drew a few protective wards and sigils over the door with wax before climbing into the shower himself.

Standing under the scalding water, he hoped that Dean was right, that Sam was just exhausted. The kid had become so moody and argumentative lately that sometimes he wondered if Sam was drinking or taking drugs behind his back. God help him if he was. He rarely spanked his boys, but Sam would definitely feel the effects of a good, hard spanking with his belt if he was doing something so damn stupid. Shaking the negative thoughts from his head, he stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off before pulling on his boxers and his gray Army t-shirt which was his usual sleeping gear. Exiting the bathroom, he checked on his boys to see that they were both sleeping before turning off the lamp and climbing into bed himself and fading off to sleep.

He was awakened from his sleep a few short hours later however by the sound of whimpering coming from one of his children. Sitting up with a yawn, he ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair before throwing the covers aside to go see what was wrong. He had just began to stand when he heard Dean's voice.

"S'okay dad, I've got him. Go back to sleep." Dean informed John as he wrapped a comforting arm around Sam and pulled him closer, whispering that everything was okay. He could feel Sam lightly trembling and figured he was most likely having another nightmare. Sam had been prone to them since he was just a little guy and Dean wished he could find a way to keep them from happening.

Knowing that Dean was better at comforting Sammy anyway, John sighed and lay back down in his bed wishing that he could have that kind of connection with his youngest. He knew it was his fault for allowing Dean to be his main caregiver when his baby was younger, but it was something that had to be done to keep his boys safe. He would never regret making the choices he did knowing that it kept his boys alive.

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Early the next morning found John sitting at the table sifting through the information he had gathered for their next hunt as he awaited for his boys to awaken. Apparently five hikers had been killed in the mountains of Idaho and the lone survivor of the attack claimed that it had been done by some skeletal looking creature that was over seven feet tall. Authorities believed the man was suffering from shock and therefore wasn't making sense, but John knew better. Obviously a wendigo was in the area terrorizing hikers and it needed to be dealt with ASAP.

Going through the notes he had gathered on wendigos, he knew that they were originally thought to be humans who had turned into an emaciated creature after having devoured human flesh. Because of their cannibalism, the creatures were cursed to be forever hungry and resorted to hunting campers and hikers in the deep forest. The creatures were also said to have horrifically long claws that could easily tear into human flesh and they were known for having inhuman speed which could really complicate matters. Of course there was different lore on the ways to kill the creature, but John knew the only way to truly do it was to melt it's ice cold heart using a flare gun and shooting it dead center in the chest.

Looking at his watch, John decided he would soon have to wake his boys if they didn't wake on their own, He had made plans for them to meet up with Joshua later on in the evening and he didn't want to be late. They needed to compare notes and establish the best place to start their hunt since the area they were headed to had numerous caves and old mines in which the wendigo could lay low.

Placing his notes inside his journal, he glanced over to the bed where his boys were now beginning to show signs of waking. Sam still seemed to be a little pale, but that could be from the fact the kid hadn't eaten much of anything the previous day since he was brooding. Taking a deep breath, John vowed to make sure that Sam ate a full breakfast and lunch before they arrived at their destination. He wanted his boys in their best hunting form.

**TBC** _**So should I keep going or trash it? **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 2**

**Disclaimer:** Supernatural and the Winchesters belong to Erik Kripke and the CW. I am just playing with them for a little while. I own nothing recognizable in this story, nor am I making a profit.

**Author's Note: This story is** **dedicated to my dear friend **.…**the inspiration behind the story.**

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**Previously: **_Placing his notes inside his journal, he glanced over to the bed where his boys were now beginning to show signs of waking. Sam still seemed to be a little pale, but that could be from the fact the kid hadn't eaten much of anything the previous day since he was brooding. Taking a deep breath, John vowed to make sure that Sam ate a full breakfast and lunch before they arrived at their destination. He wanted his boys in their best hunting form._

Upon awaking, Sam became aware of two things. One, that he really needed to use the bathroom, and secondly, that he was being cuddle by his big brother. "What the hell?" He questioned as he pushed himself up, a bright pink tinge encompassing his cheeks.

"What's the matter princess, afraid I took your virginity?" Dean laughed as he saw the embarrassment creeping up on Sam's cheeks.

"Shut up Dean." Sam retorted as he turned around and punched his brother in the arm.

"If you two are finished with your horseplay, I'd like to hit the road as soon as possible." John stated interrupting his sons playful banter, though he was secretly pleased to see Sammy feeling well enough to do so. "We're supposed to meet Joshua later this evening and I'd prefer not to be late."

"Yeah, sorry about that Dad." Dean said as sat up and threw his legs off the bed while rubbing his fingers through his short and disheveled hair. Standing up, he grabbed a clean pair of jeans out of his duffle and pulled them on.

"Is it okay if I take a shower before we go?" Sam questioned, feeling a little grimy from not having bathed the night before.

"Sure kiddo, just make it a quick one." John answered as he closed his journal and started packing up his own gear. The sooner they hit the road the better.

"Kay Dad." Sam answered as he grabbed some clean clothing from his own duffle and carried it into the bathroom. Pulling his t-shirt off, he shook his head at the fullness or pressure he felt in his right ear. He hoped it was nothing to worry about since his dad would be pissed if he had to cancel the hunt because of him having a stupid ear ache. Stripping quickly, he took care of business and then stepped under the hot water and allowed it to sluice over his head before washing his hair and then lathering up the washcloth to bathe himself. Knowing his dad was in a hurry, he climbed out of the shower before he really wanted to and dried off hurriedly and got dressed. Walking out into the room and sitting on the bed to pull on his shoes, he heard his father say, "It's about damned time Sammy."

"Sorry Sir." He replied automatically before quickly lacing up his sneakers and grabbing his duffle, which Dean had already packed for him, and heading out the door. Making his way to the Impala, he felt a slight case of vertigo once again, but relaxed when it passed quickly.

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Driving down the highway a few hours later after having had a big breakfast where he made sure Sammy ate every bite, John glanced into the backseat to see his youngest gazing idly out the window. "You okay back there Tiger?" He questioned with concern since Sam had been relatively quiet most of the trip.

"Yes Sir, I'm fine." Sam answered as he kept his gaze on the passing scenery out the window, wondering where they were headed off to and what they would be hunting once they met up with Josh. He really wished they could just take a break, but he knew that was never going to happen.

"You sure Sammy? You're not usually this quiet." Dean asked as he turned in his seat to visually check his brother over with his eyes.

"Yeah, I was just wondering is all."

"Wondering about what?" John questioned with another glance in the rearview mirror before focusing his eyes on the road ahead once again.

"About the upcoming hunt that Joshua needs our help with." Sam answered as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a little nauseous at the moment. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to watch the scenery passing by as apparently, it was making him carsick.

"Hey dad, stop the car." Dean intoned strongly as he noticed the pallor that suddenly overtook Sammy's face. Throwing open the door once his dad had pulled to the side of the road, he quickly jogged around the back of the car before pulling Sammy's door open, kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on the nape of his neck.

"Sammy, you okay?" He asked worriedly as he began to massage the muscles in Sam's neck with his hand.

"Ye-yeah, just a little nauseous is all." Sam answered as the saliva built in his mouth. Feeling the bile rise in his throat, his eyes got huge as he pushed his brother out of the way and hurriedly exited the car. Dropping to his knees, he bent forward as foul tasting liquid spewed forth from his mouth. Seconds later, he felt a hand wrap around his chest as another supported his forehead.

"I gotcha tiger, just let it all out." John informed his youngest as he supported his youngest while Dean began to rub comforting circles on Sammy's back.

"M'sorry." Sam apologized in between heaves as his stomach continued to rebel on him. He hated looking weak in front of his family, and worse yet, for making them stop on the count of him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick Sammy? I could have gotten somebody else to help Joshua on the hunt." John said once his son had finished heaving and leaned back against his chest. He wasn't such a bastard that he would force Sammy to hunt knowing he wasn't feeling well, if that was indeed the case.

"S'not what you think Dad, Ju-just got a little carsick is all." Sam stated as he accepted the bottle of water that Dean was now handing to him and rinsed his mouth with before spitting it out.

"You sure that's all it is?" John questioned as he palmed Sam's forehead to check for fever, finding that though Sam was sweaty from heaving, his skin was relatively cool.

"Yes Sir, I'm sure." Sam answered as he took a few swigs of the water and felt his dad wrap a supportive hand around his bicep to help him to his feet. Feeling a little weak, he allowed his dad to help him back into the car where Dean was already waiting.

"Why don't you lay down for a little while and get some sleep, it will make you feel better dude." Dean said as he pulled off his jacket and lay it on the seat to pillow Sammy's head. He watched his brother do as suggested and then walked to the trunk to pull out a blanket to place over him. Tucking it in around his brother, he ruffled Sammy's hair before shutting the door and climbing back into the front in the shotgun position.

Pulling back onto the road, John rubbed a hand across his bearded chin as he thought about what had just happened. Was Sammy carsick as he said, or was it something else? He couldn't help but wonder once again whether or not Sammy was drinking or doing drugs. Sure, Sammy had only been out of his sight a couple of times today, once to shower and then when he excused himself to use the bathroom at the diner. But both times he had had more than enough time to take care of a nasty little habit. Sighing deeply, he thought about cancelling the hunt, but he didn't want to let Joshua down. He would just have to make sure Sam stayed within his or Dean's sight at all times. Focusing his attention on the road once again, he allowed Dean to watch over Sammy as they made their way down the interstate.

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Finally arriving at the Moonlit Inn later that night, John parked the Impala in front of the rooms that Joshua had rented them for the night. Climbing out of the car, he knocked on the door to room 106 and his ears picked up the soft sound of Joshua cocking his gun before he heard the gruff hunter call out, "Who is it and what do you want.?"

"It's me and the boys." John answered as his sons walked up behind him and he waited for Joshua to open the door. Stepping over the salt line, he reached out to shake the big man's hand. "So how you doing Josh?" He questioned as he walked in and sat down in a chair at the table where Joshua had all of his information scattered out.

"About the same as always." Joshua answered before turning his attention to John's boys with a smile. Clasping Dean on the shoulder, he said, It's good to see ya Dean. I hear you've been breaking a lot of hearts with the ladies."

"Can't help it I'm so damned good looking." Dean answered with a smirk and then ducked the hand that Joshua swiped towards his head after hearing the cocky remark.

"Damn, is that you Sammy?" Joshua questioned as he then saw the tall, gangly brown haired kid standing beside Dean. The last time he had seen Sam, he was a little on the short side, but the kid stood nearly as tall as his brother now.

"Hi Joshua." Sam answered with a smile as he reached out to shake the big man's hand. He was surprised to feel himself tugged forward into a bear hug.

"It's been a while kid. I can't believe how much you've grown." Joshua informed Sammy once he released him from the hug. "You'll soon be taller than that no good brother of yours."

"Hey, I'm the big brother here." Dean grumbled upon hearing Joshua's words. Sammy had been growing like a weed lately, and if it didn't stop, Sam would indeed soon overtake him in height and that just wouldn't be right.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you won't let us forget that even when Sammy is taller than you." Joshua mused with a smile before changing the subject. "I'm sure you boys are probably tired after that long ride so why don't we discus the information I've gathered so we can all get some sleep before the big hunt."

"Sounds good." John stated as he picked up some of the information Joshua had gathered and began to scan it. "What have you learned so far?"

"From what I've been able to ascertain, we've got a wendigo, possibly two of them running amuck in the mountains located not too far from here. I've been able to gather some maps of the area and found there are a few mining caves that creatures could be using for their lair. Usually wendigos work alone, so if two of them have teamed up, we could be in for a hell of a lot of trouble." Joshua answered as he looked each hunter in the eye to convey the seriousness of what he had just said.

"Damn, with the speed those things possess, the hunt is bound to get tricky." Dean stated as he glanced towards Sammy wondering whether or not they should leave the kid behind on this one. If Sammy wasn't up to par, then he wanted him somewhere safe so he wouldn't have to worry about him.

Knowing exactly what Dean was thinking, Sam gave him an exasperated look. "Don't worry, I'll be fine by tomorrow morning. I told you I just got carsick is all. After a good night of sleep, I'll be more than ready to join the hunt." He wasn't about to stay behind and wondering whether or not his family was okay. He was going to be there to watch their backs if the need arose.

"Wait a minute, if you've been feeling sick Sammy…" Joshua said with concern before being cut off.

"How many times do I have to say it? I'm fine, F-I-N-E, fine." Now if you guys don't mind, I'd like to go to bed so I'll be ready for the hunt tomorrow. So, uh, where am I supposed to crash?" Sam asked while glancing around the room.

"Right through that door over there tiger." Joshua answered pointing to the side door. "I got us connecting rooms, just in case."

"Okay, thanks." Sam replied as he hoisted his duffle over his shoulder and strode through the door to the other room rolling his eyes at the way the others were trying to baby him.

"Dean go with your brother, and keep a close eye on him." John ordered. He didn't want Sammy out of his sight, but he'd deal with it at least for tonight knowing Dean would be in there with him. "And leave the door open."

"Jeez dad, we're not babies you know." Dean retorted with an eye roll but did as his dad said. He figured that John was still worried about Sammy being sick and wanted to be able to see or hear if he was needed.

John ignored the oldest son's jibe as he continued to go over the information that was laid out in front of him. He wanted to make sure he knew the position of every cave or possible hiding place of the supernatural creatures they would be hunting. He didn't need any surprises when he would already be worrying about Sammy enough as it was on the hunt. Yeah, he considered leaving him behind too just like Dean, but then if Sammy was drinking and doing drugs, he didn't want him left alone for any length of time.

After talking over the hunt with Joshua another thirty minutes, he decided to hit the sack himself. Walking into the boys room to check on them, he heard Dean whisper that Sammy was sleeping and that he should hit the hay himself. Nodding his head, he returned to his and Joshua's room and shucked his boots and jeans before climbing in the bed himself. He found sleep to be a little elusive however as his mind centered on Sam and what could be happening with him.

**TBC **_**So just what is wrong with Sammy and is John right to be suspicious?**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 3**

**Disclaimer: **Supernatural and the Winchesters belong to Erik Kripke and the CW. I am just playing with them for a little while. I own nothing recognizable in this story, nor am I making a profit.

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**Previously: **_After talking over the hunt with Joshua some more, he decided to hit the sack himself. Walking into the boys room to check on them, he heard Dean whisper that Sammy was sleeping and that he should hit the hay himself. Nodding his head, he returned to his and Joshua's room and shucked his boots and jeans before climbing in the bed himself. He found sleep to be a little elusive however as his mind centered on Sam and what could be happening with him._

Early the next morning found John and Joshua up just after sunrise, both hunters eager to get the hunt started. Deciding to allow the boys just a little more time to sleep in, John took a quick shower while Joshua gathered his things together. Standing under the pulsating water, John hoped that Sammy would be feeling better today and ready to start the hunt. He didn't need the aggravation of worrying about his youngest when things were going to be bad enough already as it was. Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, he quickly toweled himself off and dressed in a torn pair of jeans and his olive drab USMC t-shirt. Upon opening the bathroom door and exiting the bathroom in a cloud of steam, he was surprised to see both of his boys dressed and ready to leave, their duffle bags in hand. "Hmm, guess the sound of the shower woke them up." He thought to himself as he picked up his boots and carried them over near his bed.

Sitting on his bed to pull on his sock and boots, he took the time to visually assess how his youngest child looked. He was happy to note that he didn't seem to be quite as pale this morning and the dark smudges under his eyes weren't as pronounced as they had been the night before. Maybe his baby boy really was just carsick like he had claimed, but he had to be sure. "Sam, you up for this hunt this morning?" He questioned wanting to hear from Sammy himself that he felt fine enough to hunt.

"Yes Sir, M'fine." Sam replied as he looked his father in the eyes. He had actually gotten a full night of sleep and it left him feeling more rested than he had felt in a long time. Sure, he had felt a wave of vertigo upon waking, but it quickly passed and he saw no reason to bother his family about it. His dad would just tell him to suck it up anyway, so why even bother.

"Glad to hear it kiddo." John stated as he retrieved his duffle bag from the floor and hefted it onto his shoulder. "Let's get this show on the road." He stated with a smile as he turned and walked out the door and over to the gleaming, black Impala. Opening up the trunk, he slung his duffle bag inside and waited for his boys to do the same. "Joshua, you take the lead and we'll follow behind you." John informed his hunter friend as he climbed in behind the wheel, with Dean taking the shotgun position and Sammy sitting in the back.

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Following Joshua down the road approximately an hour later, John couldn't help but take furtive glances at Sam wondering how his youngest was truly doing. He looked to be healthy enough, but if he had taken anything, John knew it would take a little while for it to kick in_. "At least he doesn't seem to be disoriented at all." _Thought John knowing that would be one of the signs that Sammy was high.

"Dad, I told you I'm fine, you don't have to keep looking at me." Sam stated noticing how much his dad had been watching him through the rearview mirror. Honestly. It was making him feel uncomfortable to be under such close scrutiny and he wondered why in the world his dad was suddenly so interested in his health all of the sudden. Hell, every other time it was always left up to Dean to take care of and watch over him.

"Just making sure Sam, we don't need things going south on this hunt." John replied as he glanced at Sammy once more.

Sam became angered at hearing his dad's words. He knew what his dad was really thinking. "What you really mean is you don't want ME screwing up on the hunt."

"Sam don't start with me." John ordered with a forceful tone as he glared at his youngest through the rearview mirror. "I am in no mood for your attitude today so just knock it off."

"It's what you meant and you damn well know it." Sam muttered under his breath as he stared daggers at the back of his father's head.

"Damn it Sammy, don't make me stop this car and deal with that attitude of yours." John seethed to his insubordinate son.

"Alright you two, that's enough." Dean said as he rolled his eyes. He knew it was too much to hope for that this hunt would go off without his dad and Sammy fighting once again. He couldn't blame his dad for being upset with the way Sammy was talking back to him, but then he couldn't blame his brother for feeling the way he did either since their dad had been on his case for a while now. He wondered if the fighting would escalate to the point that would shatter their small family one day. "Sammy, please, just give it a break for now." Dean pleaded as he turned around to face his sibling.

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Sam gave Dean a hurt look before turning his misted eyes to the scenery outside the window. He wished Dean would back him up more often in the arguments he had with their dad, but no, he just always played the peacemaker between the two of them.

Sighing, Dean turned back around and stared out the front window. He wondered if his dad and Sammy would ever see what their bickering and fighting was doing to him. He hated being caught in the middle all the time and having to negotiate the peace between the two of them. An uncomfortable silence took over the Impala as the occupants inside sat lost in their own thoughts about the incident that had just occurred between them, each feeling they were justified in their reasoning.

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Arriving at the base of the mountain where most of the killings had occurred, Joshua pulled his metallic blue, king cab pickup truck into a remote area that was relatively well hidden from view by the brush surrounding it. Climbing out of the vehicle, he watched as John pulled in beside him and parked the classic car before the Winchesters clibed out themselves. Gathering his hunting gear together, he waited for the Winchesters to do the same. As he waited, he noticed the tenseness that seemed to radiate between them. "Everything alright?" He questioned of John as the hunter walked up beside him.

"Teenagers." John grumbled as he stuck his flare gun into the back of his jeans and then slung his bag over his shoulders. He figured he didn't have to say anything more knowing that one word should get his point across sufficiently.

Joshua just shook his head as they started the trek to the area where most of the deaths had occurred. He knew how stubborn John was and had noticed more than once how hard he was on his boys at times. He couldn't blame them for rebelling against their father's way of doing things once in a while, he just hoped it wouldn't affect the outcome of the hunt. The last thing he wanted was to see either of John's boys hurt because their minds were occupied with hurt feelings instead of being on the hunt like they should be.

Hanging back a little so that his little brother could catch up to him, Dean wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder and asked "Are you okay Sammy?" He could feel the despondent vibes coming off of his little brother and he couldn't stand to see him so unhappy.

"M'fine." Sam stated simply, shrugging off Dean's arm as he began to walk at a more brisk pace. He didn't feel like talking at the moment and he just wanted to concentrate on what was going on, especially since he was now hearing a slight ringing sound in his ears. He didn't worry about it however figuring it was because of the pressure build up he had been feeling over the last day or so. Making a mental note to himself, he decided to ask Dean to get him some ear drops when they got back to town.

Sighing once again, Dean jogged to catch up with his brother and walked silently beside him hoping Sam would see it as a show of support. He knew with the mood that Sammy was in now, that it was just best to leave him alone so that he could work things through on his own. But one thing was for damn sure, Sammy was going to talk to him when they got back to town whether he liked it or not.

It took the better part of the early afternoon to hike to the site where the killings had actually taken place. Scanning the perimeter of what had been an abandoned camping area, Joshua and the Winchesters took a few minutes to sit down and discuss their plan to find the wendigos, if indeed there was two, as well as get a few moments of rest. Placing a map on the ground, Joshua pointed to their present location. "As best I can figure, this is about the area where we are now. From what I have been able to establish, the wendigo is most likely making it's homebase in the Crystal Cave Mines, which is located here." Joshua informed the others as he pointed to an area a little north of where they were now on the small map.

"What makes you think that?" Dean questioned, intrigued as to why Joshua mentioned a specific place instead of circling a generalized area.

"Wendigos like to stick to a certain area when it comes to hunting prey. They feel more secure when they hunt in their own environment as opposed to a location unknown to them. And seeing as how this mine is the only one located within a fifty mile radius of the killing, I figure it's our best shot." Joshua replied.

"Shhh, did you hear that?" John questioned as his ears picked up a barely audible sound and his eyes began to quickly scan the area around them.

"Hear what?" Joshua whispered as he too began to scan the woods around them. He knew that the creature they were hunting could be hiding behind, or even up in any of the trees which surrounded them and it left him feeling the rush of adrenaline that always came with the hunt.

"I could have sworn I hear a guttural growling sound." John answered just loud enough for the others to hear as he pulled his flare gun from the back of his jeans. He didn't need to look to know that the others had done the same.

Flare Gun in hand, Joshua quickly scanned the direction opposite of the one John was facing knowing that they needed to keep all sides covered since wendigos were known to have inhuman speed. The last thing the needed was one of the damn things surprising them from the back with them totally unaware. "Anybody see anything?" He queried as he kept his eyes moving in a constant search pattern for the wendigo.

"Nothing yet" Dean answered as he took a quick glance Sammy's way to check on him before returning his attention to the dense wooded area ahead. He couldn't help but worry about his baby brother since he had been sick the day before. Sure, it could have just been carsickness as Sammy claimed, but he had a gut feeling that it was something more.

Catching a glimpse of a quickly moving shadow out of the side of his eye, John never bothered to answer the question as he pivoted to the right and took aim just ahead of the fast moving blur. He was just about to pull the trigger on the flare gun when the unthinkable happened.

Seeing his father pivot to the right, Sam turned in the same direction and experienced a sudden and severe attack of vertigo which made him feel like his world was spinning. Losing his balance, he automatically reached forward to keep from falling, bumping into his father's arm causing his aim to go wide as the flare was fired.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

_Could it be Vertigo Ch. 3_

_Disclaimer: __**See chapter one**_

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_**Previously: **__Seeing his father pivot to the right, Sam turned in the same direction and experienced a sudden and severe attack of vertigo which made him feel like his world was spinning. Losing his balance, he automatically reached forward to keep from falling, bumping into his father's arm causing his aim to go wide as the flare was fired._

Seething as the flare missed it's mark, John went absolutely livid knowing he had the damn wendigo in his sights and would have taken it out if it hadn't been for his youngest knocking his aim off. "Damn it Sammy." He roared angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?" It pissed him off to see Sam looking at him innocently as he struggled to get up, his coordination working against him. He had no doubt that Sam had most likely taken something.

"Dad, I…" Sam started to say as he tried to push himself to his knees. He felt like his world had turned upside down on him, while literally shaking at the same time too. He felt a wave of nausea assail him and fought to keep the bile from rising up his throat. Glancing up at his dad, he tried to focus his eyes on him, but his vision was just one big blur as his eyes refused to work properly. Closing his eyes to stop the spinning only made it worse and he swayed on his hands and knees.

"Sammy, Sammy what's wrong?" Dean questioned anxiously as he quickly made his way to his dad and brother's position. He knew his dad was pissed by the look on his face at their youngest member, but couldn't understand why. He should have been helping Sammy, not yelling at him.

"I'll tell you what's wrong. Your brother just screwed up in a major way and he's going to deal with the consequences." John answered without allowing Sam to defend himself. Grabbing his youngest by his bicep, he forcefully hauled him to his feet. "I want to know what your on right now little boy and you better answer me if you know what's good for you."

"Da'ad, I….I don't…..I'm not." Sam garbled out as he tried to get his words strung together, his thoughts a scrambled mess. All he wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep since the incident had left him feeling totally exhausted.

Spinning his sixteen year old around, John forcefully landed three solid swats on his denim clad behind in anger. How dare Sammy take something in the middle of a hunt. The boy knew how important it was to maintain your focus at all times or risk losing your life, and here he was, high enough on something that he couldn't even focus his eyes.

"What the hell Dad?" Dean growled as he watched Sam's face immediately pale at the discipline his dad had just administered. He could tell something was seriously wrong with Sammy and it pissed him off that John was manhandling the kid.

Sam could hear his family arguing, but the voices sounded muffled in his head. His ears were seriously beginning to ring as the bile rose once again from the motion of having been spun around so quickly by his father. "De." Sam pleaded as his knees buckled. He would have face planted in the dirt had it not been for the hold John still had on his arm.

Grasping Sam by the arms, Dean slowly lowered his brother to the ground as John released the hold he had on him. He heard his brother begin to wretch, and helped Sam to lean over, supporting his upper body while his stomach expelled all of it's contents. "That's it kiddo, let it out." He soothed as he rubbed Sammy's back in a comforting motion

"John?" Joshua questioned after having watched the uncomfortable scene unfold before his eyes. He wondered what was going on with the family, especially after hearing John accuse Sammy of being on something. He felt bad for the kid knowing that Sam would be totally embarrassed at having been punished by his father in the way that he was, especially since there were witnesses to the incident. Scanning the area to make sure the wendigo hadn't returned, Josh waited for John to answer.

"I'm sorry Josh, I shouldn't have brought Sammy out on this hunt, especially not when he's obviously…." John started saying as he glared at his youngest.

"When he's obviously what Dad?" Dean questioned, cutting him off just as Sam collapsed in his arms from sheer exhaustion.

"Look at him Dean, the kid can't stay seem to stay awake, let alone focus with his eyes which are now glassy and red. What does that tell you huh?" John asked as he glared at Sammy once again, his arms crossed over his chest. "Think about it Dean, Sam's been obstinate and unruly, and he's been downright disobedient for the past few months which only proves what I've been thinking."

"What exactly are you trying to say Dad?" Dean voiced with barely concealed anger, hoping that John wasn't going in the direction he thought he was.

"He's high Dean. Apparently your brother was stupid enough to pop some pills or something just before a hunt." John replied looking at his youngest with disgust.

"Da-ad, I'm not, I would n-never…" Sam's voice quivered as tears sprung to his eyes. It hurt him to his very soul to hear that his dad would even think such a thing. Glancing towards Joshua, he felt the shame starting to burn in his face knowing that the hunter had witnessed everything that just happened.

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you Sammy." John retorted, the anger building once again. He could throttle Sammy for shaming him in front of Joshua this way.

"Dad stop it." Dean enunciated strongly with contempt in his voice. He could see just how bad his dad's words had hurt Sammy and he wasn't about to let John's words cut him deeper than they already had.

"No Dean, your brother has to understand just how dangerous the consequences of his actions could have been. He could have cost any of us our lives because he chose to get high and I'm going to make sure it NEVER happens again." John answered moving his hands toward his belt.

"Don't you even think about it Dad. You're the one who has no clue if you think Sammy could ever do drugs. I'm not going to just stand here and let you accuse him of something so horrible without any concrete proof to substantiate what you're saying." Dean pronounced as he stared his dad down.

"Fine, you want proof? We'll just make Sammy empty his duffle bag, he's got to be hiding his stash somewhere." John said as he reached down to pick it up and toss it over near his youngest.

"John, maybe we should get back to our vehicles and do this hunt later, when everything is cleared." Joshua mentioned seeing how the situation with the Winchesters was escalating. Things were to too tense right now between the Winchesters for them to even think about trying to take on the wendigo.

Knowing that Joshua was right, that their minds were definitely not focused on the hunt, John said. "We're not finished with this, we're going to have it out when we get back to the motel." He informed Dean before picking up Sam's duffle bag as well as his own and slinging them over his shoulder. No way was he going to let Sammy hide the evidence even better than he already had. Walking to the edge of the camp, he turned back to his oldest. "Get his ass in gear now." He said as he nodded at Sam before starting along the trail back from where they came.

"Dean I sw-swear…" Sam spoke as Dean hauled him to his feet.

"I know you didn't Sammy and Dad will too eventually. He's just pissed off right now since he missed the shot. And don't you be worrying either, I promise we're going to find out what's wrong with you kiddo, show Dad just how wrong he is." Dean informed his baby brother as he wrapped an arm around Sam's waist and pulled his brother into him, supporting most of his weight as they started back down the trail.

Walking for only about twenty minutes, Sam could feel his legs trembling as they tried to help support his weight. He was so damn tired and just wanted to lay down somewhere and go to sleep. "Dean I can't." He stated just before his knees buckled once again.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted anxiously as he took on his brother's full weight. Lowering him to the ground, he tenderly brushed the sweat laced bangs from his brother's face as he watched Joshua and their dad returning.

"Damn it , now what?" John asked placing his hands on his hips in frustration.

"He passed out. Something is wrong with him Dad, why can't you see that? Dean questioned as he looked at his father to see the man watching Sammy with indignation.

"His body is just rebelling against whatever it is he took." John retorted knowing how overprotective Dean was when it came to Sammy. "He'll be fine after he sleeps it off."

Biting his tongue to keep from exploding at his dad, Dean turned pleading eyes toward Joshua. "Will you carry his duffle please?" Pulling Sam up into a sitting position, Dean hoisted his baby brother over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and once again started down the trail.

Sighing as he watched Dean walk off with his baby brother, John knew it was going to be a long trip back to the motel once they finally made it back to the cars. He knew without a doubt that he would receive the silent treatment from his oldest since Dean was pretty upset with him right now.

After about forty five minutes of walking with the hunters taking turns carrying the youngest Winchester, Sam finally showed signs of coming around as he moaned while slung over Dean's shoulder. Lowering his brother to the ground with his back leaning against a tree, Dean strained to look in his eyes as the sunlight was starting to fade. He knew they needed to get back to the cars as quickly as possible since most wendigos favored striking their victims at night. "Sammy, you awake kiddo?" He prodded as he placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Dean, wha' happened?" Sam questioned as he woke up disoriented from the attack. He was surprised to see that night had nearly fallen and wondered what happened and why they were no longer near the abandoned camp area.

"We'll talk about it later Sammy, right now we need to get you back to the car." Dean stated as he pulled Sammy to his feet and wrapped an arm around his waist to support him once again as they began to walk. He wanted Sammy out of the woods as quickly as possible. Following behind their dad and Josh, they walked silently side by side for the next thirty minutes or so until they made it back to the place where the vehicles had been parked.

Dean heard Sam sigh in relief as they finally made it back to the cars. He knew Sam's strength was near depletion once again since Sammy had been leaning into him more on the last ten minutes of their hike back. Opening the rear door to the Impala, he helped Sam climb in before storing their gear in the trunk. Silently striding past his dad, Dean climbed into the back with Sammy and pulled his baby brother against him. "Go to sleep kiddo, you're going to need it." He said as he watched John climb in behind the wheel while running his fingers through Sam's hair. He wasn't looking forward to arriving back at the motel.

Climbing behind the wheel, John glanced into the rearview mirror to see Sam nearly asleep and Dean carding his fingers through his baby brother's hair. He would let things be for now, but Sam was going to face him once they made it back to the motel whether Dean liked it or not.

**TBC **_**I hope this chapter met your expectations.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 5**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Many readers have asked for a quick update to this one, so here it is. I will get the next chapter up to Bridge Over Troubled Waters hopefully by tomorrow night.

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**Previously: **_Climbing behind the wheel, John glanced into the rearview mirror to see Sam nearly asleep and Dean carding his fingers through his baby brother's hair. He would let things be for now, but Sam was going to face him once they made it back to the motel whether Dean liked it or not._

John couldn't help but notice how frosty things seemed on their drive back to the motel. He had tried to initiate a conversation with Dean a few times during the long drive, but his oldest had only grunted yes or no answers, or something totally unintelligible. Giving up with a sigh, he swiped his hand across his slightly bearded jaw knowing that things were only going to get worse once they got back to the motel room. He hated knowing that there was friction building up between him and his boys, but he couldn't allow the situation with Sam to get anymore out of control than what it already was. He had to make the kid see what he was doing was wrong.

Glancing at his youngest through the rearview mirror, he couldn't help but notice the dark smudges under his eyes as he slept and the way his breath hitched every so often. _"Damn it Sammy, how could you do this to your brother, to us?"_ John thought dejectedly. Was their way of life really so bad that Sam felt the need to take drugs just to get through the day? Watching the way that Dean tenderly shushed his brother to keep him from waking after emitting a slight moan, John just couldn't understand why Dean didn't see all the signs that he did pointing to the fact that Sammy was using drugs. _"I guess he'll just have to see the proof." _He thought to himself knowing what he planned on doing once they made it back to the motel.

Seeing the turn off for their motel up ahead, John steeled himself for what was sure to be an upcoming fight with the mood that Dean was in. Pulling the Impala in front of the door to their room, he parked and shut off the engine. "Wake your brother up and get him inside." He told Dean in a no nonsense voice as he climbed out of the car and walked to the trunk to get their bags. It was time for his youngest to face the music and pay the piper once he stash was revealed.

"Sammy, time to wake up dude." Dean encouraged as he lightly shook his brother's shoulder. He felt bad at having to awaken Sam knowing he was in for a hard time, they all were. He could tell their dad was still pissed and that only meant one thing, that he was going to be in a bitchy mood.

"Dean wha'?" Sam questioned groggily upon opening his eyes, surprised to see that they were back at the motel.

"Time to face Dad's wrath kiddo." Dean replied with resignation knowing that the shit was about to hit the fan. He felt Sam tremble slightly under his touch upon hearing the words and it made him more determined than ever to protect the baby brother he had helped his dad to raise. Watching Joshua walk to his own room, Dean then walked side by side with Sam as they entered their room where the door was open and waiting for them to enter. Crossing the threshold, he took a deep breath upon seeing their dad standing by Sammy's bed, his brother's duffle bag in hand.

"Empty it Sammy, now!" John ordered with a stern look as soon as his boys walked into the room. Usually, he would never invade his boys privacy, but enough was enough, this was for Sam's own good.

Sighing in defeat, Sam walked over and took his bag and began emptying it on the bed. He was too tired to fight his dad right now anyway and besides, there was nothing in his bag to hide. Pulling out the clothing, he lay it on the bed before pulling out a few books and other odd and ends he kept to keep himself occupied on the long trips. "That's it sir, there's nothing else." He informed his dad as he lay the empty bag on the bed beside his clothing.

Picking up the bag, John turned it inside out to check for any hidden pockets or seams cut into the lining. Finding none, he started tossing Sam's folded clothing haphazardly on the bed, ignoring the huff that came from his youngest at seeing his clothes strewn about. "Where is it Sammy?" He questioned as he threw the bag down and looked his youngest in the eye waiting for him to answer.

"I told you Dad, I'm not taking anything." Sam answered in a plaintive tone wishing his dad would just believe him.

"If that's so, then I guess you won't mind stripping down to your boxers so I can check for needle tracks." John replied noticing the tears that misted his son's eyes upon hearing the words, giving even more creedence to his belief that Sam was using drugs.

"Wait a damn minute now, that's going to far." Dean stated vehemently as he stepped in front of his brother and glared fiercely at his dad. "There's no way I am letting you degrade Sammy in that way." Dean informed his dad as he fists clenched in anger. How dare the man even suggest such a thing.

"If the boy has nothing to hide, then he shouldn't mind stripping down now should he?" John retorted with a raised voice, angered at the way Dean was talking to him.

"He shouldn't have to Dad. He told you he wasn't taking drugs and hi word should have been good enough for you." Dean seethed. "You should be ashamed even…"

"No, it's alright Dean, I'll do it." Sam stated to keep the anger from escalating any more than it already was between his dad and Dean. Tears began to fill his eyes as he reached up to start unbuttoning his overshirt. He refused to look at his dad or even at Dean as he allowed silent tears to run down his blazing cheeks. He felt desolate that his dad could think so little of him, to actually believe that he was doing drugs, especially while on a hunt.

"Dad, please. Please don't make him continue doing this." Dean pleaded as he saw the way Sam's posture was slumped in defeat. It was obvious his brother was emotionally devastated by what was happening and he wanted to take Sammy and run, but he knew the kid wouldn't allow it, especially seeing as how he had just dropped his jeans to the floor and stepped out of them. _"Damn you dad for hurting him this way." _Dean thought as his heart broke for the little brother who now stood practically naked in the middle of the room looking like nothing would ever be right in his world again.

Feeling more exposed than he ever had before, Sam kept his eyes to the floor as he waited for his dad to approach and inspect his body for needle tracks. He refused to whimper or make a sound as his dad grasped his arms and turned then so that his palms were facing towards the ceiling and scanned the skin there. He stared at a small stain on the wall while his dad looked at each arm closely and then bent down to inspect his legs. He choked back a sob as he felt his dad's hands on his legs and he couldn't help but shudder as the man made him turn so that he could check the back and insides of his legs also. He just prayed his dad wouldn't make him remove his boxers, taking away the last modicum of decency he had right now.

"Are you satisfied now Dad? Sammy tried to tell you he wasn't using, but you had be a stubborn bastard and put him through hell." Dean bristled, a storm of anger about to override his emotions.

"No Dean, I'm not. He's got to be hiding the shit somewhere." John exploded as he swept the lamp off of the small table in the room in anger. "Damn it Sam, you tell me right now what you're taking and where you've hidden it. It's obvious you aren't shooting anything into your veins, but that doesn't mean you aren't taking anything by mouth."

"I-I-I'm n-not us-using." Sam stuttered out before running into the bathroom and locking the door behind him. Feeling his legs go weak, he slumped to the floor as he braced his back against the door.

"Son of a bitch." Dean yelled out as he punched the wall in anger. "Now look what you've done." Dean couldn't ever remember a time that he had wanted to hit his father, but damn if he didn't feel like doing it now. Knowing it wouldn't help the situation any, he walked over to the bathroom door and tested the knob to find it locked. "Sammy, it's me, please open the door." He said softly as he leaned his head against the door. He could hear that his brother was crying and was desperate to comfort the kid.

Disgruntled that things had went to hell in a hand basket so quickly, John stormed out of the room to get some air. He needed some time away from the situation before he did something he would really regret. Slamming the door behind him, he was surprised to see Joshua leaning against the truck as he looked up at the nighttime sky, a beer in hand. "Guess you heard some of that huh?" John questioned as he stood in front of the hunter, desperately wishing he had a beer also.

"I'd be surprised if the whole damned motel crowd didn't hear it with the way you Winchesters we're going at each other." Joshua replied as he raised the bottle and took a long swig of the liquid. Knowing that he had to tread carefully with what he was about to say, he reached into the cooler in the back of his truck and pulled out another beer, handing it over to John. "John have you taken the time to think that maybe Sam is telling the truth, that maybe he's not using drugs?"

"Damn it Josh, I don't need you questioning my reasoning too." John replied not wanting to fight with the hunter. He had had more than enough of that in the last ten minutes.

"John, I'm just saying that there might be something else going on with the kid. Hell, you know yourself that Sammy is extremely book smart. Why would he want to fry that geek brain of his with drugs?"

"Joshua, the signs are all there of Sammy taking drugs, why can't you and Dean see them? I wish to God that I was wrong, but I just don't see that happening. Josh, I love that kid more than life itself and it's tearing me up to see what he is doing to himself. I can't go…" John drifted off as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Can we just not talk about this anymore man, please?"

"Sure John, I just hope you haven't completely shattered the relationship between you and Sammy with everything I heard going on in the room over there." Josh stated as he tossed the empty beer bottle in the back of his truck before walking back to his room and leaving John to think through things on his own. He had heard about the strained relationship between the two over the past year and he knew John's lacking faith in Sammy could be the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak.

Gulping a few long swallows of beer, John twisted the golden wedding ring he still wore on his finger. "What am I going to do Mary? I can't lose our baby, he's the last thing you ever gave to me." John whispered, a lone tear trailing down his face. He didn't know if he could survive losing another member of his family.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 6**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

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**Previously: **_Gulping a few long swallows of beer, John twisted the golden wedding ring he still wore on his finger. "What am I going to do Mary? I can't lose our baby to drugs, he's the last thing you ever gave to me." John whispered, a lone tear trailing down his face. He didn't know if he could survive losing another member of his family._

Leaning against the car, he closed his eyes as he tried to think of just where Sam could be hiding his stash. If he wasn't shooting up, then he had to be taking the drugs orally, but where was he keeping them. He had already checked Sam's duffle bag and clothing and found absolutely nothing. Suddenly remembering that Sam had gotten sick in the car on the way to the hunt, he decided his stash had to be hidden there. Quickly opening the back door, he began to search the interior of the Impala. _"Now where would I hide my drugs if I were Sammy?_" he thought as he scanned the backseat area which is where Sam had spent most of the ride.

Reaching under the front seat with his hands, he felt all along the floorboard and up into the springs under the seat but found nothing except a few empty cans and some candy wrappers. Biting his lower lip, he pondered where else to look and his eyes landed on the seat. Reaching down between the bottom and the back of the seat, he swept his hand along the area but couldn't feel anything. "S'gotta be here." he groaned aloud realizing he was going to have to remove the seat to get a better look. Grasping it as best he could, he gave it a jerk to loosen it and then lifted it up. Surveying the area, all he could see was some dirt and some loose change that had fallen out of someone's pocket. "Damn it, I was sure the drugs were there." He groaned as he punched the back of the seat in frustration at not finding anything once again.

Glancing back towards the room where the boys were, he thought about going back in and reading Sam the riot act once again. If he could just break down the boy's defenses enough, then Sammy would have to admit where he was hiding his stash. Taking a few steps towards the room, he thought about how pissed Dean already was at the situation and he really didn't want to fight with him tonight too. No, he would give it some time for things to calm down and try to approach his boys rationally tomorrow. Maybe if he wasn't so accusing and he showed them just how concerned he was for Sammy's health, then his boys might be more willing to talk and Sammy would finally open up.

Striding towards his and Joshua's room instead, he opened the door to see the hunter sitting at the table, cup of coffee in hand. "You make enough of that for me too?" He questioned as he scrubbed a hand through his disheveled hair.

Nodding his head, Joshua pointed to the coffee pot sitting on the sink's edge. "Help yourself Winchester, it's over there." he intoned as he watched John walk across the floor. He could tell the man was frustrated by the way he held himself and he wondered how long things would remain tense between John and his boys. There was no way they could hunt the wendigo with the way things were between them. Maybe he should call in Caleb or Bobby for some help with the hunt.

After pouring his cup of coffee, John sat in the chair across from Joshua's and looked fleetingly towards the door that connected their room to the boys room. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind the closed door and if Dean had coaxed his little brother out of the bathroom yet. Walking over towards the door, he listened intently to see if he could hear anything going on inside the room. Hearing nothing, he sighed as he walked over and flopped down onto his bed. Flicking on the television, he hoped there would be something good playing because he seriously doubted he would be getting any sleep tonight.

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"Sammy, please let me in dude, Dad's not here anymore, he just left." Dean informed his brother who still had yet to open the door. He couldn't stand having the barrier between him and the baby brother he had helped to raise, especially when the kid was so obviously upset. "I know you're hurting right now Tiger, and I understand. Dad should never have said the things he did to you. He should never have made you submit to basically being stripped searched. Please Sammy, I can't help you if you won't let me in."

"M'fine Dean, please just leave me alone." Sam pleaded as he swiped away the tears running down his face.

"No your not kiddo, we need to talk about this, Sammy please!" Dean implored.

"I just wanna take a shower okay Dean, we'll talk later." Sam voiced despondently as he reached over to turn on the water to drown out the words Dean was saying. He was too embarrassed yet to face his brother and needed some time to get himself together. Pushing himself to his feet, he stripped out of his boxers and stepped under the pulsating water. He shivered as he thought about the events that had just occurred and how disgusting it made him feel. He had always thought on some level that his dad loved him and respected him, but now, he wasn't so sure. Feeling a sudden onslaught of dizziness, he groaned "Please not now." as he lost his balance and collapsed against the wall, his shoulder impacting hard with the metal bar that held the washcloth.

Hearing the shower turn on, Dean sighed knowing that Sammy was trying to shut everything out, just turn off his feelings and pretend it never happened, but he knew it would be impossible for him since Sam wore his heart on his sleeve most days. Standing up, he stretched and was about to walk away when he heard some muttered words and then the sound of something falling. "Sammy." He gasped as he raised his foot and kicked the door. He felt it splinter under his foot and then swing open. Rushing inside, he saw his brother lying haphazardly in the tub, water spraying over his naked body.

"Shit Sammy, what the hell happened?" He gasped as he reached out to turn off the water quickly before assessing his baby brother. Noticing the bruise forming quickly on his right shoulder, he also scanned the rest of his body to look for any more signs that the kid was hurt worse.

"Dizzy." Sam whispered as his head bobbed on his shoulders. He could feel the bile building up in his throat and knew he would soon be sick.

"Here, let me help you." Dean voiced as he placed his hands under Sammy's arms and helped his brother to stand. He helped him lean against the wall and then grabbed a thick terry cloth towel and wrapped it around his little brother's waist to provide a modicum of privacy before grabbing anoher towel to dry him off with.

"De, sick" Sam whispered as he face turned a deathly pale and he threw up one hand to cover his mouth.

Seeing Sammy's distress, Dean helped him to sit on the edge of the tub and then grabbed the small garbage can sitting beside the commode and held it up to his brother's mouth. He then supported Sam's back as his little brother heaved up what little there was in his stomach, grimacing at the sight.

"_Damn it kiddo, what's wrong with you?" _Dean thought to himself as he waited for the heaving to stop. There had to be something seriously wrong his baby brother with the way Sam kept having the vertigo attacks. There was no way this could be attributed to drugs like his dad thought. Feeling Sam collapse against him, he wrapped an arm around his waist and then led him back into the bedroom and helped him to sit on the bed where he finished drying him off. "Stay there" he ordered as he walked over to Sam's duffle bag and pulled out a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt and boxers.

"Come on kiddo, let's get you dressed. I'm taking you to the hospital." Dean stated as he reached down to slip Sam's boxer's under his feet. Pulling them up his legs to the knees, he helped Sam to stand up, steadying him as he swayed, and then reached under the towel to pull the boxers up and over his hips. Repeating the process with Sam's jeans, he then helped his brother to get his shirt on. He was too concerned about his baby brother to even tease Sam about having to help dress him like a baby. Grabbing some socks and shoes, he slipped them on Sam's feet and tied them for him. "Okay, let's go kiddo."

"But wh-what about D-ad, he'll be m-mad?" Sam questioned a little breathlessly, holding his head in his hands as he tried to dispel the dizziness that was gripping him with a vengeance at the moment.

"To hell with what he thinks." Dean stated, angered that his dad still believed that Sammy was taking drugs. "He lost his right to have any say so in this the minute he accused you of taking drugs." He wasn't going to let his dad stop him from getting Sammy the help he so desperately needed.

Leaving Sam sitting on the bed, he opened the door as quietly as possible and peered outside. Glancing around, he saw no signs of his dad or Joshua, but both of their vehicles sat out in the parking lot. Returning to the bed, he hoisted Sam to a standing position. "Okay kiddo, lets move it." He said as he wrapped an arm around Sam's waist once again and led him slowly towards the door hoping and praying that their dad wouldn't happen to step outside at the wrong time and cause a big scene.

Knowing that the engine of the Impala would be too loud and give them away, Dean led Sammy over to Joshua's truck. All he had to do would be to hotwire the vehicle and they would be on their way. He was sure Joshua wouldn't be mad him once he explained why he did it. Lowering the tailgate and allowing Sammy to lay down since he was obviously struggling to stay upright, Dean went to work on picking the lock on the driver's side door. It took him only moments for him to get the doors unlocked and Sammy sitting inside. Climbing behind the wheel, he quickly hotwired the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, breathing a sigh of relief as he looked into the rearview mirror to realize that they hadn't been heard.

Driving down the highway, he took a quick look at Sam and could tell that the kid was in obvious pain by the way he held his head in his hands and gasped at every little bump they hit on the road. Reaching out his right arm, he placed it around Sam's shoulder and tugged his brother towards him. Put your head in my lap Sammy and try to relax. I'll get us to the hospital as soon as I possibly can.

**TBC** _Sorry for the short chapter, my morning was rather hectic. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 7**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

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**Previously: **_Driving down the highway, Dean took a quick look at Sam and could tell that the kid was in obvious pain by the way he held his head in his hands and gasped at every little bump they hit on the road. Reaching out his right arm, he placed it around Sam's shoulder and tugged his brother towards him. Put your head in my lap Sammy and try to relax. I'll get us to the hospital as soon as I possibly can. _

As he drove down the dark stretch of highway, Dean could feel his anger building at his father with each little gasp of pain that his brother emitted. Things should have never progressed to the point where he had to take things into his own hands, their dad should have taken Sammy to the hospital at the first sign the kid was sick. He just couldn't fathom why his dad was so set on the fact that Sammy was taking drugs. He should have know that Sam was more level headed than to do something as stupid as that, especially on a hunt. Hell the kid felt guilty those times when John had made him drink a beer or some whiskey to numb the pain of being stitched up after he was injured during a hunt.

"_Damn it Dad, why do have such a low opinion of Sam?" _Dean wondered to himself as he kept his eyes focused ahead for the hospital sign. He had noticed it on their way to town and knew the hospital shouldn't be too far off from where they were now. Thinking things through, he couldn't come up with one solid reason why his dad would be so dead set in his belief that Sam was using drugs. Sure the kid had become moody lately, even surly at times, but that was just the teenager in him.

Spotting the hospital sign up ahead, Dean slowed down and then took the right hand turn towards the hospital. It didn't take him long to find a parking spot near the ER entrance since it was nearing midnight and the parking lot was relatively empty. "Alright Sammy, let's see about getting you some help." Dean stated as he killed the engine and then climbed out of the truck and walked around the front. Opening the passenger side door, he helped Sam to ease up in the seat and was alarmed at how pale the kid still looked.

"Sammy, you still with me Tiger?" He queried as he wrapped an arm around his brother's waist to keep him from swaying on his feet.

"Yeah, just diz-dizzy is all." Sam voiced barely above a whisper as he took a deep breath to try and quell the flip-flopping motion of his stomach at the change to a vertical position.

"Just lean on me kiddo and we'll take it slow and easy." Dean said as he started them towards the sliding glass door of the Emergency Room. He knew the last two vertigo attacks had taken a lot out of his baby brother and he was worried about this one was affecting him deeply too. He so did not want Sammy passing out on him again. Finally entering the ER, he was about to ask for help when he saw a doctor striding towards them.

"I need a gurney over here." Dr. Matthew Wilson called out as he approached the two young men who had just strolled into the ER. He could tell the youngest of the two was near collapse as he saw the way he was being supported by the eldest, his face covered in a sheen of sweat. Leading the two young men over to a nearby chair, he asked, "What seems to be the problem?" as he wrapped his fingers around Sam's wrist to take his pulse.

"My brother Sam has been having some problems with vertigo." Dean answered as he watched the doctor remove the stethoscope and place it to Sam's chest to listen to his heart.

"Let's get him loaded and in into treatment room five." the doctor stated as two orderlies arrived with a gurney. Turning towards Dean, he said, "Your brother's heart rate is elevated along with his pulse. I want to get him started on an I.V and something to calm him down before he goes into shock." Following the doctor into the treatment room, Dean helped them to transfer Sammy onto the bed in the room before standing by his side and carding his fingers through Sam's chocolaty brown locks once again.

Instructing Dean to help Sam remove his shirt, Matthew gathered together the instruments he would need to assess his patient, along with a bag of saline fluid to start an I.V. to help rebuild the fluids Sam had lost. Once Sam was shirtless and laying down on the treatment bed, Dr. Wilson started the I.V. in his left hand and said, "Sam, I need you to tell me everything you can about these vertigo attacks like when they started and what happens before, during, and after the attack."

"Okay." Sam responded a little weakly as he glanced towards Dean a little fearfully. He knew Dean wasn't going to be happy with him once he started talking.

"S'okay kiddo, I'm right here beside you. I'll help you to fill in anything you might forget." Dean told Sam as he gave his right hand a light squeeze in support after seeing the worried look upon his brother's face.

"So Sam, when did these vertigo attacks start happening?" Dr. Wilson questioned to get the conversation started as he adjusted the drip on the I.V. attached to Sam's hand.

"They didn't start getting bad until a few days ago, but I've been having them for a couple of months now." Sam answered as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"What, why didn't you say something before now?" Dean asked incredulously as just finding out the news wondering how Sam had managed to hide the attacks from him.

"They weren't that bad Dean, just a little dizziness and some ringing in my ears. They always went away relatively quick." Sam answered as he dropped his chin towards his chest, unable to look his brother in the eyes at keeping the illness to himself for so long.

"Damn it Sam, you should have told me. We could have gotten you to a doctor long before now." Dean touted softly as he grasped Sam's knee to let him know he wasn't mad at him.

Needing to hear the rest of the symptoms Sam had been experiencing with his attacks, Matthew said, "What else have you been experiencing besides dizziness and tinnitus or ringing in the ears?"

"I've had problems with pressure in my ears and sometimes it feels like the world is spinning on me. When I close my eyes to make it stop, it just seems to get worse." Sam answered as he watched the doctor writing the information on his chart.

"What about balance, any problems with that?" Matthew asked as he picked up an otoscope and placed it to Sam's ears so he could look inside. With all the symptoms Sam was describing, he was sure the problem was something other than an ear infection, but he wanted to be sure.

"Yeah, he's fallen a couple of times recently." Dean answered as he noticed Sam turn a little more pale when the doctor moved his head to the side. "As a matter of fact, the bruise there on his shoulder is from falling in the shower a little while ago.

"What about nausea, has there been…" The doc didn't have the time to finish the question as he heard Sam gasp out the word "sick." Quickly grasping an emesis basin, the doctor placed it under Sam's mouth while his patient heaved. "Guess that answers the question I was about to ask." Matthew stated as he marveled at the way the older brother was comforting the younger by rubbing circles on his back.

"So Doc, any ideas about what might be wrong with my brother?" Dean questioned as he gently guided Sam to lay down again once the dry heaving had stopped.

"I do have my suspicions, but I'd like to confer with two of the ear specialists we have on staff here and let them examine your brother. They are nationally renowned for the expertise when it comes to middle and inner ear problems. I can however tell you this much, it is not an ear infection that your brother is suffering from." Dr. Wilson answered as he finished writing his notes onto Sam's chart.

"So uh, when will you know something?" Dean questioned as he glanced at his watch. A few hours had already passed and he knew his dad would soon find out that they were no longer at the motel. He wouldn't be surprised if his dad already knew and was actively working to find them, of course all he would have to do would be to track the GPS locator in Joshua's truck.

"I wish I could tell you, but the specialists will have to run some tests on your brother also before we can give you a firm diagnosis. Therefore, I am going to admit your brother to the hospital for at least the next twenty four hours. I am assuming you do have the authority to sign the papers allowing us to do s?" Matthew questioned as he stood up to go make the necessary arrangements.

"Yes I do, can I stay here with Sammy for now?" Dean questioned anxiously. He could tell the I.V. medications were beginning to work since Sam was becoming drowsy and he didn't want to leave him alone.

"That'll be fine for now. But once the other doctors arrive, you'll have to wait out in the waiting room while they perform some diagnostic tests on your brother." The doctor answered with a smile before walking towards the door. "The nurse will be in soon with the forms for you to fill out." He informed Dean before exiting the room.

"Thanks Doc." Dean voiced as he watched the middle aged man leave the room. Sighing deeply, he wondered how long it would be before his dad arrived and for the shit to hit the fan. He had no doubt that his dad would be angry with him for taking Sammy to the hospital without his knowledge. Snagging a chair from the corner of the room, he carried it over by Sam's bed and sat down.

"You're going to be okay Sammy, just you wait and see. The doctors will find out what's wrong and take care of it. They'll show dad just how wrong he is about you." Dean stated aloud even though Sam was currently deep in the arms of sleep. Sitting there beside Sam, he couldn't help but wonder what their dad would say when he found out Sam wasn't the druggie he thought he was. Would he admit that he had been wrong for once, or would he blow it off and pretend it never happened? One thing was for sure, if he did try to pretend that it never happened, they were going to come to blows over Sammy.

Reaching out to smooth away the bangs from his sleeping brother's forehead, Dean couldn't help but notice how innocent he looked in sleep. He looked so much like the five year old who was always questioning him about everything. Sometimes he wished they could go back to those times when Sammy was so innocent to the world around him, when he didn't know about all the creatures out there in the dark and what their dad did for a living. Sam had worshipped their dad back then, but now, things were so tense between the two that Dean was afraid their family would shatter into pieces one day. Shaking the negative thought from his head, he leaned back into the chair, and closed his eyes to get a few moments of rest while he could. He had a nagging feeling that he was definitely going to need it.

**TBC **_**Look for lots of angst/anger in the next chapter as John realizes the boys are gone. And don't worry, Sammy's diagnosis will be revealed soon!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 8**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, so please forgive any obvious errors.

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**Previously: **_Dean leaned back into the chair, and closed his eyes to get a few moments of rest while he could. He had a nagging feeling that he was definitely going to need it._

What seemed like only seconds but in actuality was a couple of hours later, Dean found himself awakened by the sound of feet walking into the room. Scrubbing his hands across bloodshot eyes, he opened them and looked over to where his brother lay sleeping to see three men dressed in white coats standing beside his baby brother. "Wha's going on?" He questioned with a yawn as he stood up and stretched the kinks out of his back.

"Dean, these are the specialists that I was telling you about earlier." Dr. Wilson stated as he motioned towards the two men, both in their early forties. "This is Dr. Kyle Robbins and the one standing beside him is Dr. Kenneth Ray. They are two of the top ear specialists in the country and have agreed to examine your brother upon my request. I have given them the specifics of your brother's case and they would like to run some specialized tests on Sam, with your permission of course."

"Yeah, that's fine, if you think it will help you to figure out what is wrong with him." Dean agreed as he swiped a hand through his short hair. He just wanted a firm diagnosis so that their dad would know Sammy wasn't doing drugs. Once they figured out what was wrong, they could deal with it and move on and things could finally return to normal.

"The tests will take us a few hours to complete but I can assure you that we will be with your brother at all times and we'll send somebody to get you as soon as we're finished." Dr. Robbins said as he watched how cognizant the older brother was of the youngest alluding to just how protective he could be.

"What kinds of tests will you be doing?" Dean questioned needing to know exactly what they planned to do to Sammy.

"We'll be administering a hearing test, auditory with typanometry to find out whether or not his hearing is fluctuating. We'll also be doing some vestibular testing to determine if the nerve connections in Sam's ear are intact and working normally and then the last test we'll be doing is an ECOG to determine if there is pressure inside the ear." Kyle stated putting it in easier terms for Dean to understand.

"Damn, those tests sound kind of complicated, but I'm sure you know what you're doing. Can I have a few minutes with Sammy to wake him up and let him know what is going to happen?" Dean questioned, not wanting Sammy to wake up and feel like he had been abandoned.

"Yes, that will give us the time to set up the equipment we need to run the tests." Dr. Ray enlightened Dean as they left the room to give the brothers some time alone together.

Watching as the doctor's left the room, Dean returned his attention to the brother that had been the focus of his life since the day he had been born. "Sammy, I need you to wake up for a minute kiddo." He voiced softly as he ran his fingers through the too long hair that Sam refused to get cut, much to the chagrin of their father. He watched his brothers eyes flicker beneath the eyelids a few times before finally opening to mere slits.

"How ya doing Tiger?" Dean inquired with a smile meant to put his brother at ease.

"M'okay I guess" Sam answered as he pushed himself up a little on the bed.

"S'good. Sammy, the doctors want to run some more tests on you so they can get a firm diagnosis. They won't let me stay so I'm just going to be right outside in the waiting room okay squirt?" Dean advised Sam as he squeezed his hand lightly.

"Kay Dean. And I'm not a squirt, I'm nearly as tall as you are now." Sam retorted as his eyes started drooping once again.

"Yeah, I know you are dude, I know you are." Dean whispered as Sam's eyes closed once again. Reaching down to sweep a stray hair from his brother's eyes, he wished that he could take Sammy's place. He hated seeing his brother so pale and weak. He stood there watching Sam until the door opened and the doctors returned. "Take good care of him." He stated, his voice cracking on the last word.

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Unable to sleep with the tenseness between him and his youngest, John climbed out of the bed after a few hours of just lying there and pulled on his jeans. Maybe a walk in the cold night air would clear his mind and allow him to get some sleep. Pulling on his boots, he grabbed the key card off of the nightstand and opened the door as quietly as possible so as not to wake Joshua.

Stepping outside, he couldn't help but think that something seemed out of place. Glancing around, it didn't take him long to figure out what it was. "Son of a bitch." He groaned upon seeing that Joshua's truck was missing. He knew without a doubt that his boys had to be behind it. Swiping the key card in the lock mechanism, he pushed the door open with enough force that it banged against the inner wall.

"What the hell?" Joshua questioned as he bolted upright , instantly becoming wide awake, pistol already in hand as his eyes swept the room.

"You're truck's missing and I know just who the culprits are." John seethed as he pushed open the door that connected their rooms to confirm his suspicions. "When I get my hands on them…"

"Just cool down John, They must have had a good reason for sneaking off in the middle of the night." Joshua said as he pulled on his jeans and fastened them. He wasn't upset with the boys taking his truck since he knew Dean had to have had his reasons.

"Good reason my ass. Sam probably complained so much that Dean decided he needed to see a doctor. Damn kid always could pull the wool over his brother's eyes." John gritted out through clenched teeth.

"John, you have no solid proof that Sam is taking drugs and besides, you've always told Dean to watch out for Sammy and that is just what he's doing." Josh intoned as he pulled a solid black t-shirt over his head.

"Can we not argue about this? Can we just go and find the boys so I can straighten them out?" John queried with exasperation as he grabbed his duffle bag off the floor and slung it over his shoulder.

"Give me a damn minute would ya? Just let me call in the GPS on my truck and we should have the exact location of where the boys are." Joshua replied as he picked up the phone receiver. It only took a few short minutes for him to get the coordinates to the location of his truck and it was just where they expected it to be.. "The boys are definitely at the hospital." Joshua revealed as he grabbed his jacket and put it on before grasping his own duffle. Following John out to the Impala, Josh stuffed his gear into the trunk and then took the shotgun position upon climbing into the classic muscle car. He was going to be needed to calm things down when the shit hit the fan.

Nervously drumming his fingers on his leg as John drove down the highway, Joshua hoped that Dean would be ready to face one pissed off father. It was unusual for Dean to go against his dad and he could tell that John didn't like it one freaking bit. But then he also knew that Dean would do anything when it came to his little brother, even if it meant getting a severe tongue lashing from his own father.

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Pulling into the hospital parking lot approximately thirty minutes later, John flung the door open and climbed out of the Impala. It was time to go find his boys and give them an earful for sneaking out in the middle of the night and to drag their asses back to the motel. With the way he was feeling right now, Dean would be lucky if he ever got to drive again, and as for Sam, his youngest would be lucky if he didn't take a belt to his behind once they got back.

Striding towards the hospital ER entrance with Josh following behind, he walked through the sliding glass doors and shielded his eyes for just a moment from the sudden brightness that assaulted them. Once his vision cleared, he spotted the nurses desk and was just about to walk over to it and inquire as to where his son's were when he noticed Dean standing beside a vending machine. Taking a deep breath, he traipsed across the floor. "Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" John questioned angrily, his voice just above a whisper.

"Getting a coffee if that's alright with you?" Dean answered, a little surprised by the sudden arrival of his father and Joshua.

"Don't be flippant with me young man." John stated with a huff. "I want to know what the hell you think you were doing by bringing Sammy to the hospital when you know it is totally unnecessary."

"I was doing what you've always told me to dad. It's obvious to me that Sammy is sick, but you're too damned stubborn to see that." Dean retorted, his own anger building at the situation.

"Damn it Dean, don't you know that Sam is just playing on your sympathies." John hissed as he saw security personnel walking by. The last thing he needed right now was to get thrown out of the hospital.

"No, he's not. Dad if you'd just take the time to think…"

"Don't tell me what to do Dean. I'm the father here not you. Now tell me where you're brother is so I can go get him and we can get back to the motel. You boys have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

"You're too late Dad, the doctors are running tests on Sammy right now and they should be out here anytime to let us know what's wrong." Dean stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Listen John, since they're already examining Sam, just let them finish what they are doing. At least then you'll know what's wrong with your youngest for sure." Joshua said as he placed a calming hand on John's shoulder.

"Fine, and when the doctor confirms what I've been saying all along, maybe you two will finally let me handle things my way. Sam has to learn what he's doing is wrong and I'm just the one to teach him the lesson." John voiced as he saw a couple of doctors approaching.

"Doc, have you figured out what is wrong with Sammy?" Dean questioned Matthew anxiously as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"Yes we have." Dr Wilson answered with a questioning look as he glanced at John and Jacob wondering how they fit into the equation.

"Oh, this is our dad and Uncle Joshua." Dean stated knowing the doc wouldn't give them the results of the test without knowing who the men were.

"Nice to meet you gentleman." Matthew stated as he reached out to shake their hands. He couldn't help but notice how irritated the boys father seemed to look.

"So doc, what's the verdict?" Dean questioned once again as his fingers nervously tapped on his thighs.

"Well after extensive testing, we have concluded that Sam is suffering from..."

**TBC **_**My four year old nephew Kevin is having surgery tomorrow, so it could be a couple of days before I get any of my stories updated, but I will get back to them as soon as I can.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 9**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait, but here's the chapter you all have been waiting on. Once again, I have no medical knowledge whatsoever, so please forgive any obvious errors.

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**Previously: **_"So doc, what's the verdict?" Dean questioned once again as his fingers nervously tapped on his thighs._

"Well after extensive testing, I can tell you exactly that Sam is suffering from Meniere's Disease." Dr. Wilson answered as he noted the quizzical look that crossed their faces upon hearing the diagnosis.

"Meniere's Disease, what in the hell is that? Look, I think you've got it wrong doc. You'd better run your tests again." John stated unbelievingly. "With the way Sammy has been acting lately, you need to run some drug tests on the kid and that'll show ya exactly what's wrong with him."

"Listen Mr…."

"John, just call me John."

"Listen John, the first thing we did when your son was admitted was to run some toxicology blood tests on him since he had an unknown illness. It is standard procedure in cases like his to rule out the possibility of drugs being the cause of whatever is affecting the patient. The only thing we found in your son's system was acetaminophen which suggests he had taken some Tylenol to help with pain."

Dean's anger flared as he listened to the doctor. Even after being given proof that something was medically wrong with Sam, John still believed his brother was using drugs. Clenching his fists to keep from swinging at his dad, he took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. The last thing he wanted was to be kicked out of the hospital so he couldn't see Sammy.

"But, you must have made some kind of mistake. Sammy's actions are consistent with someone who is using drugs. I mean, he's been argumentative and moody lately. His eyes are glassy and he's been unsteady on his feet." John retorted with a huff."

"And all of those signs you've just mentioned are consistent with Meniere's disease which is a disease of the inner ear. As we were testing Sam, he experienced another attack which allowed us to verify our diagnosis with one hundred percent certainty." The doctor explained patiently.

"So just what does happen during an attack?" Joshua asked seeing the way that Dean was struggling to control his anger. He knew Dean would want to know all the facts about this disease Sam had, hell…he wanted to know himself.

"Just before an attack, Sam gets a feeling of pressure in his ears which causes fluctuation in his hearing, followed by tinnitus or ringing in the ears. This is followed by severe vertigo in which the person feels as though their world is spinning on it's axis, and then nausea and vomiting usually follow. As is usually the case, Sam is suffering from severe exhaustion after this latest episode and he will probably sleep for the next few hours." Matthew responded in answer to the tall man's question.

As John stood there taking in the information the doctor was saying, his heart nearly dropped to his feet and he felt so weak in the knees that he thought he might fall. _"How could I have been so wrong? I was so sure it was drugs, but then I should have known Sammy was too smart to do something like that." _

Suddenly remembering that he had made Sam strip so that he could check his arms and legs, John felt the guilt increase tenfold and wished he could take back everything he had did and said over the last week or so. Scrubbing a hand across his mouth, he glanced at Dean to see the anger radiating off him in waves and knew he would soon be catching mortal hell from his oldest.

"So what are you going to do for this Meniere's disease, I mean you can give Sammy something to cure it right?" Dean questioned anxiously as he diverted his attention away from his dad to the doctor.

"I wish I could, but at this point there is no cure for Meniere's disease, though there are claims that researchers are nearing a cure. We can give Sam medications to manage the attacks and to help control the debilitating symptoms that come with then, but they won't stop them all together." Matthew stated with an air of sadness.

"Doc, how often will the attacks occur?" John asked, the guilt nearly consuming him for not having brought Sammy to the doctor sooner.

"I wish I could tell you John, but with Meniere's disease, there's really no set pattern. The attacks can come in clusters meaning that several attacks can occur within a short period of time or they can be spaced apart. Some attacks have even been known to occur years apart. From all the information I have gathered, I would say Sam has been experiencing cluster attacks, and as such, they can be very debilitating to deal with." Dr. Wilson answered.

"Doc, you said that there were medications that Sam could take. Can you please tell us about those?" Joshua queried.

"For the vertigo, I will be prescribing either Meclizine or Lorazepam to help with the dizziness, both of which will most likely make Sam drowsy and require him to sleep for periods at a time. For the nausea and vomiting, we'll give Sam some Phenergan or Compazine which come in oral or suppository form. Suppositories usually work best since they can't be vomited back up in the middle of an attack." Matthew replied.

"Sammy will just love that." Dean quipped knowing how Sam would react to anyone trying to shove a suppository up his backside. "What about managing the attacks, is there anything we can do to make them less severe when they happen?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. When Sam is having an acute attack, have him lay down on a firm surface and stay as motionless as possible, but make sure he does not close his eyes. Instead, have him focus on a stationary object. And whatever you do, make sure he doesn't drink any fluids as he'll vomit them right back up. Once the spinning sensation stops, you can allow him to sit up, but make sure he does it slowly." Dr. Wilson declared as he looked at the three men standing before him.

Oh and there is one more thing I need to warn you about. With Meniere's disease, there is always a chance that Sam could suffer from a sudden fall that is known as an otolithic crisis of Tumarkin. These falls typically occur without warning and are brought about by a sudden deformation of the otolith organs in the ear. Basically, that means that Sam will feel as if he is falling when in actuality he may be standing straight. In trying to reposition himself, he will experience a sudden fall which could cause extensive injury if he is standing on anything hard like concrete or if he is near enough to something to strike his head on it.

"Son of a bitch." John groaned as he placed his hand to his head knowing now that Sam falling against him in the woods and knocking off his shot was most likely due to the disease. "God Sammy, I'm so sorry for the way I acted." He whispered feeling lower than a snakes belly.

Dr Wilson gave John a curious look wondering just what the man had did that he was now apologizing for. "As one last note of caution, I recommend that Sam be taken in for a hearing test every year. One of the effects of Meniere's disease is a gradual hearing loss over time.

"Damn it, can things possibly get any worse for the kid?" Dean seethed as he glared at his father once again.

"Dean, I know the news is overwhelming, but at least there is hope for a cure on the horizon if researchers are right. I know it could mean that they are still years away from finding a cure, but at least there is hope." Matthew advised.

"Yeah I guess. When can _**I **_go see my baby brother?" Dean asked stressing the word "I" as he looked pointedly at his father.

"Sam is sleeping, but you can go see him right now if you'd like as long as you don't wake him. He'll need several hours of sleep to get over this last attack."

"Thanks doc, for everything you've done for Sammy." Dean said as he reached out to shake the man's hand and started striding down the hall. He could tell that Joshua and his father were following him by the sounds of their footsteps. Rounding the corner and seeing the hallway relatively empty, he came to a sudden stop and waited. It only took seconds for his dad to round the corner also and he grasped the man by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him back against the wall forcefully.

Surprised at the sudden assault by his oldest, John gasped, "Dean, what the hell?"

"Don't you what the hell me dad?" Dean gritted through clenched teeth keeping his voice low and filled with anger. "You have no damn right whatsoever to see Sammy after the way you've treated him so why don't you just go back to the motel where you belong and leave us the hell alone."

"Dean, I know I was wrong and you'll never know how sorry I am, but I'm still his father."

"Then why the hell didn't you act like one huh, tell me that? You were so damned sure of yourself that you wouldn't even listen to Sammy when he told you he wasn't taking drugs, that something was medically wrong with him. Instead, you make him strip down to his boxers and embarrass the hell out of him so you can check his arms and legs for needle tracks. Do you even care what that did to his psyche? He cried all night long Dad, even though he tried to hide it from me, and it's all your fault." Dean lambasted as he let his feelings out. He wanted John to know just how much harm he had done to Sam.

"Damn it Dean, don't you think I'm sorry for all of that now. I know how wrong I was and God knows I wish I could take it all back but I can't."

"That's right dad, you can't. Sammy will have to live the rest of his life knowing he has a dad that didn't give a shit about him, that would rather believe he was some junky instead of actually being sick. Do you even freaking realize that if I hadn't dragged Sammy away in the middle of the night that you would still think he was using?"

"Yes Dean, I realize that and I'm sorry." John iterated as he looked his son in the eyes.

"Sorry's not good enough Dad, not this time. You were way out of line and you know it. Hell, you bitched the kid out for falling and knocking off your aim on the hunt for the wendigo. Do you know how dangerous it was to take Sam on that hunt in his condition? He could have been killed."

"Damn it Dean, I didn't know what was wrong then."

"That's right, you didn't because you chose not to. All you've cared about lately is putting him down and showing him how inept he is as a hunter. Well let me tell you something Dad, he has been experiencing these attacks for months but never said anything. He was probably too afraid of catching hell from you about sucking it up." Dean told his father in no uncertain terms.

"Dean, please, just let me explain."

"I'm sorry Dad, but I don't think anything you say could ever make me forgive you for the way you've acted. Hell, I don't feel like I can even trust you with Sammy anymore."

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 10**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

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**Previously: **"_I'm sorry Dad, but I don't think anything you say could ever make me forgive you for the way you've acted. Hell, I don't feel like I can even trust you with Sammy anymore."_

"What the hell do you mean you can't trust me with Sammy anymore? He's my son Dean, I would never knowingly do something to hurt him." John voiced angrily at Dean for thinking Sammy wasn't safe around him anymore.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about dad. You used to be able to read Sammy as well as I do, but all of the sudden, that's changed over the past few months. Now you're suspicious of everything he does. He couldn't even go to the damn bathroom without you questioning him about what he was up to. Hell dad, you even reamed him out when he was five minutes late getting home from school a few weeks back.

"Damn it Dean, that's not fair and you know it. I was only worried about the kid. You know what that town was like that we were staying in at the time."

"That's a good one coming from you Dad." Dean snorted with disbelief. "If you were so damned worried about Sammy as you claim, how could you turn around just a few short weeks later and accuse the kid of taking frigging drugs?"

"I have my reason's, if you'd just listen to me for a minute, you would see…"

"No Dad, I don't have the time to listen to you trying to find ways of explaining away your idiotic behavior. What I need to do is to get up there to Sammy and take care of him like I've always done. Just go back to the motel and leave us alone for a while." Dean retorted, growing tired of arguing with this dad.

"Dean, I'm not leaving. Like I said earlier, Sammy is still my son and I am going up there to see him…" John's tirade was suddenly cut off as he found himself slammed against the wall once again.

"No you're not! I don't want to have to fight you dad, but I will." Dean enunciated through clenched teeth. "After the way you've hurt Sammy tonight, I'm not letting you anywhere near the kid until he tells me it's okay. I can't take the chance that you'll shatter him completely."

"Dean, you need to calm down before you get us all thrown out of here." Joshua voiced as he placed a calming hand on Dean's tense shoulder. He had noticed the way that the hospital security personnel were now watching them with keen interest from the far end of the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Dean released his father. "Please, just go. I can't deal with this tonight."

"Alright, I'm leaving, but I'm coming back in a few hours and I'm going to see Sammy whether you like it or not. I need to tell him I'm sorry and that I know I was wrong." John verbalized before turning and walking away. He knew he needed to pull himself together too, that he couldn't see Sammy with the way he was feeling now or he could make things worse.

"I'll talk to him Dean, you go take care of your brother." Joshua stated before turning away to follow John. With the mood the oldest Winchester was in right now, he wanted to make sure the hunter didn't do anything stupid.

Watching as his father walked away, Dean felt a little remorse for the way things were between them right now, but he had to do what was best for Sammy, his needs came first no matter what. Taking a deep breath, he turned in the other direction and walked to the elevator doors that would take him up to the second floor where his sixteen year old brother lay sleeping. Pushing the small button, he waited for the doors to ping open and then entered inside, grateful for the fact that it was empty. Leaning his head against the wall, he felt tears spring to his eyes but quickly brushed them away. As the elevator doors slid open, he walked out of the elevator to see the bright mural painted on the wall. Sammy would have a fit upon waking to find himself placed in the pediatric ward.

Stopping at the nurse's desk for just a moment to find out what room his brother was in, Dean walked down to room number 217 and entered to see his brother still firmly entrenched in sleep on the bed. His heart ached to see him laying there so pale with an I.V. hooked up to his hand. Pulling up a chair beside the bed, he sat down and began to card his fingers through Sam's hair. "I'll be here for you Tiger whenever you decide to wake up."

As he sat and watched his brother sleep, Dean's thoughts drifted to the prognosis the doctor had given them. He had never heard of Meniere's disease before and wondered how Sam became afflicted with it. What is something that was passed down from generation to generation or had Sam acquired it from one of the nasty motels they had stayed in over the years? Placing his head in his hands, he sighed at the thought that their lifestyle might have contributed to the suffering Sam was now going through.

"Somehow we'll get through this kiddo, just you wait and see." Dean whispered with conviction. Suddenly feeling exhausted himself, Dean cradled his arms on Sam's bed and lay his head down on them to take a short nap. He needed to get some sleep while he could.

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Following John out of the hospital, Joshua kept quiet knowing the hunter had a lot on his mind. Seeing him walk across the parking lot, it took him by surprise when John passed by the Impala without stopping. The motel was at least a thirty minute drive away so it was most definitely too far to walk. Staying just a few paces behind the devastated father, Josh followed him down the street and wasn't surprised when John walked into a bar that was still open, even though it was past two o'clock in the morning.

Sidling up to the bar, John ordered a whiskey before sitting on one of the many stools. He couldn't believe how utterly fast his life had went to hell in such a short amount of time. Here he was in a freaking bar in the middle of the night while one son was facing an incurable disease and the other was probably cursing his name. Sensing someone approaching him from behind, he instinctively knew it was Joshua and didn't bother turning around.

"What kind of a father am I?" John questioned of his friend as he twisted the shot glass full of whiskey in his fingers.

"One who loves his boys." Josh replied as he sat down beside the hunter and ordered a beer. Taking a swig of the foamy white brew after it was placed in front of him, he wiped his mouth and turned to face the somber hunter. "John, Dean's upset right now. Just give him a little time too cool down and I'm sure he'll come around and be ready to talk to you more calmly."

"Why should he Josh?" John questioned as he stared at the full whiskey glass in his hands. He's right ya know, I don't deserve to be around Sammy anymore, not after what I did to him." John stated despondently. "Do you realize that when he fell out in the woods that it was because of his disease. And what did I do, I got so frigging mad that I snatched him up off the ground and smacked his ass hard three times and accused him of being high."

"John, you didn't know he was suffering from Meniere's at the time." Josh retorted trying to comfort the man a little.

"Even so Josh, I still shouldn't have lost my temper and hit him. He tried to tell me he was sick, that he wasn't taking drugs. But I was too damn sure of myself to listen to anything he had to say." Turning red rimmed eyes to his friend, John said, "How could I have become such a cold hearted bastard to my own son Josh. When did I become his accuser instead of his father?"

Seeing the pain and desolation in the man's eyes, Josh struggled for something to say. He knew John loved his boys, he just chose the wrong way of showing it at times. "John, with the kind of life you and the boys live, I'm sure they understand the weight you're under and that sometimes you're bound to crack under the pressure and explode in anger."

"Yeah, but that's just it Josh. I'm not supposed to explode in anger at them damn it." John bellowed as he threw the shot glass full of whiskey against the wall hard enough to shatter the glass.

Seeing the bartender pick up the phone, Josh knew it was time to make their exit before the man could call the police. "We're leaving." He informed the bartended as he held up a fifty dollar bill for the man to see and then placed it on the bar hoping it would placate the man.

"Come on John, we're getting out of here." Josh stated as he wrapped a hand around John's bicep and pulled him away forcefully from the bar. John couldn't make things right with his boys if he were sitting in a jail cell. He needed to get the man back to their vehicles and then back to their motel where he could relax for a while. Hopefully things would look better in the morning.

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Early the next morning, Dr. Wilson entered his patient's room to see both brothers sleeping. He had to smile as he noticed the way that Dean was clutching his brother's hand in comfort even in sleep. Walking quietly as he could, he went over to the monitor to check on Sam's heart rate and blood pressure. Writing the information on Sam's chart, he was dismayed to see the oldest brother sit up and rub the sleep from his weary eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you Dean." He voiced softly in deference to Sam who was still sleeping.

"S'okay, how's my brother doing?" Dean questioned as he stood up to stretch the kinks out of his back from having slept in an uncomfortable position for the last few hours.

"He's fine, his blood pressure and pulse rates are both normal and he's getting what he needs the most right now which is sleep." Matthew answered.

"Hey doc, I was wondering, how does a person get Meniere's disease?" Dean questioned as he reached up to brush away the sweaty bangs from his sleeping brother's forehead.

"I wish I could give you a firm answer to that Dean, but the underlying cause of Meniere's disease is currently unknown. It is most often attributed to allergies, infections of the inner ear, head injury, and it is also believed that some people have a hereditary predisposition to it." The doctor answered wishing he could be more specific.

"Okay, thanks doc. Any idea of when Sammy will be getting out of here?"

"I'd like to keep him at least another twenty fours hours for observation and to keep him on the I.V. fluids. Sam is still a little dehydrated from all the throwing up that he's done and he really does need the bedrest." Matthew replied as he placed the chart back into it's holder and prepared to walk out the door.

"Sammy won't be too happy with that when he wakes, but I'll make sure he stays." Dean said knowing how his younger sibling felt about being in the hospital.

"That's good, I'll be back in a little while to check on Sam." Matthew informed Dean with a smile before walking out the door. He knew his young patient was in good hands.

"Guess it's just you and me now kiddo." Dean whispered as he returned his focus to his baby brother, wondering how on earth he was going to break the news to Sam about having an incurable disease. He couldn't help but worry about what kind of effect the news would have on the kid and how he would react to it." Hearing the sound of rustling coming from the bed, Dean knew he wouldn't have long to wait to find out since Sammy was beginning to stir.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 11**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

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**Previously: **_"Guess it's just you and me now kiddo." Dean whispered as he returned his focus to his baby brother, wondering how on earth he was going to break the news to Sam about having an incurable disease. He couldn't help but worry about what kind of effect the news would have on the kid and how he would react to it." Hearing the sound of rustling coming from the bed, Dean knew he wouldn't have long to wait to find out since Sammy was beginning to stir._

As Sam began to wake, he could hear muffled voices around him and it irritated him that he couldn't understand what was being said. He felt like his ears were full of cotton and it was disconcerting to only be able to catch bits and pieces of what was being said, especially with the way his ears were incessantly ringing. Feeling uneasy about his situation, he began to shuffle about on the bed in fear. He immediately calmed down however as he felt familiar fingers softly tugging through his hair.

"Sammy, you with me kiddo?" Dean questioned, carding his fingers through his siblings hair as he watched Sam's eyes begin to flutter beneath their lids. He was eager for his brother to wake up, but in a way he was dreading it too, knowing that he was going to have to break the news about the Meniere's Disease.

"Come on Sammy, open your eyes for me." Dean prodded as he placed a hand to Sam's cheek and felt his brother lean into it. He smiled as he watched those blue-green eyes of his brother slowly open to look at him. He wasn't surprised to see a look of confusion on his brother's face as Sam glanced around in agitation. Noticing that Sam's breathing was becoming more rapid, he said, "Calm down, you're in the hospital, remember?" As he brushed the too long bangs away from his baby brother's forehead.

"Yeah. Dean, what's wrong with me?" Sam queried as he watched his brother closely since he was having a little trouble hearing what was being said. He could remember the doctors running their tests and then having another vertigo attack just before he was given something that quickly sent him into dreamland.

We'll talk about that when you're feeling more lucid." Dean told his brother as he watched the way Sammy was struggling to understand what was being said and what was going on around him. "For now, you just get some rest. I'll be right here beside you until you wake up again." Dean encouraged as he sat down on Sam's bed and pulled his baby brother close.

Snuggling into his brother's side, Sam allowed his fears to abate and drifted off to sleep once again knowing that he was protected and Dean would watch out for him until he could do it himself.

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Lying awake on his bed as the sun rose over the horizon, John wondered what was happening with his boys at the hospital and wished that he were there with them. He didn't blame Dean for letting him have it with both barrels after everything he had done, but he really needed to see his youngest and explain to him why he thought the way he did. He could only hope that Sammy would be willing to listen to him and what he had to say.

He knew that Sam had ever reason not to with the way he had treated him over the last few weeks, hollering at him and belittling him in front of people. He felt a huge amount of guilt on his shoulders for the words he had said, but what hurt him the most was the fact that he had struck his child in anger. He had swore to protect his kids, but instead, he was the one hurting them now. Sighing deeply, he climbed silently out of the bed to keep from waking Joshua and rifled through his duffle for some clean clothing. Tugging on his cleanest pair of jeans and an old gray t-shirt, he slipped on his boots to walk over to the diner across the street to get some breakfast so they could get back to the hospital as soon as possible.

Entering the small mom and pop style diner, he quickly ordered two steak and egg platters to go. Sitting on the stool as he waited for the order to be prepared, he massaged his temples as a headache began to make itself known. Closing his eyes from a particularly throbbing pain, he was surprised to open them and find a steaming black cup of coffee sitting in front of him.

"You looked like you could use a good dose of caffeine." The matronly owner explained with a smile as she looked into the weary eyes of the man sitting before her.

"Yeah, thanks." John replied as he picked up the coffee mug and took a sip.

"Ya know, things aren't always bad as they seem. I'm sure whatever is bothering you will work itself out in the end." The elderly owner stated as she gave John's free hand a light squeeze in comfort. He reminded her so much of the son she had lost only a few short years ago to a car accident and she hated to see the haunted look in his eyes.

"I sure hope you're right ma'am." John stated with a sincere smile, even though he was thinking at the same time, _"If it doesn't, I'm going to lose both my sons to my own stupidity."_

Upon receiving his order, John paid for the food with cash this time and made his way back to the motel room to find Joshua sitting at the table and scowling at him the minute he walked through the door.

"Where the hell were you?" Joshua questioned with ire as he glared at the hunter.

"Where the hell does it look like?" John fired back as he held the food bags up for Joshua to see.

"Sorry John, I just assumed…"

"Yeah, I know what you assumed, but I'm not that much of an ass." John declared as he placed the food down on the table. "I'll give Dean some time to talk to Sammy this morning, but I am going to the hospital and I am going to have my say whether Dean likes it or not. Sammy is still my son and I have to let him know how sorry I am for the way I acted with him."

Why did you act the way you did with the kid John, just why were you so dead set on the fact that Sam was taking drugs?" Josh queried with interest.

"That's a long story Josh, one that I'm not willing to get into now since my boys have the right to hear the news first." John answered with a weary sigh as he opened the lid on his breakfast dish and began to eat.

"Guess I can understand that." Josh replied as he too, dug into his breakfast. He just hoped that whatever it was that John had to tell his sons was a valid enough reason for being such an ass to his youngest son.

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A few hours later, Sam awoke more alert to see Dean sitting by his bedside reading a magazine as promised. Clearing his throat to let Dean know he was awake, he smiled as his older brother immediately dropped the magazine on the floor and focused his attention on him.

"Hey Tiger, you look like your feeling a little better." Dean said as he reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from Sam's eyes.

"That's cause I am." Sam replied with a smile. His hearing had cleared up some and he could hear everything that Dean was saying to him. He could still hear a ringing sound, but it wasn't as bad as it had been earlier.

"S'good kiddo, glad to hear it. Do you want me to have the nurses bring you something to eat?"

"No, I'm okay for now. What I do want though, is to find out what's wrong with me. You said you would talk with me about the test results when I was feeling more coherent, so…." Sam allowed the statement to drift off hoping Dean would fill in the details.

"_Shit, I'm so not ready for this!" _Thought Dean as he rubbed a hand across his jaw that was in need of a shaving this morning. Fiddling with the blankets that covered Sam's legs, Dean took a deep breath and said, "Sammy, the doctors found out that you have something called Meniere's disease."

"Meniere's disease, what's that?" Sam questioned with a perplexed look on his face since he had never heard of it before.

"According to the doctor, it's a disorder of the inner ear which causes episodes of vertigo, ringing in the ears, a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, and fluctuating hearing loss, which I noticed you were having trouble with earlier." Dean answered.

"But it's something they can cure right?" Sam questioned anxiously as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"I wish it were kiddo, but the doc said there is no known cure as of yet." Dean replied honestly as he grasped Sam's hand. He could feel his brother beginning to tremble as tears sprung to his eyes.

"No Dean, you're wrong, there has to be a cure. I can't live with this for the rest of my life." Sam implored as he looked at Dean with pleading eyes.

"You don't know how bad I wish they were wrong kiddo." Dean stated as he pulled Sam into his arms upon seeing the tears starting to trail down Sammy's cheeks. "But there is hope, the doc said that researchers on the verge of finding a cure, it will just take time. You can't give up hope Sammy!"

"But you don't understand Dean, I can't have this disease and still be a hunter. Dad will ship me off to Jim or Bobby's, since he already thinks I'm a worthless junkie anyway." Sam sobbed into his brother's shirt at the thought of being separated from Dean. He wouldn't mind being separated from his dad at this point in time, but the thought of being away from Dean while facing a disability petrified him.

"Whoa, you can just stop that line of thinking right now Sam. I **will not **allow Dad to ship you off anywhere. You hear me kiddo? You're staying right here with me." Dean retorted as he noticed the sharp rise in Sam's blood pressure.

"But I won't be of any use for you or Dad now, just a burden you'll have to deal with and you'll grow to hate me over time." Sam mumbled as the trembling in his body increased.

"Look at me Sammy." Dean said as he placed his hands on his brother's cheeks and tilted his head up until Sammy was looking at him. "I could never hate you tiger, don't you know that? And as for being useless, who is the best researcher we have this family huh kid. It sure as hell isn't me or Dad." Dean told Sammy as he rubbed his baby brother's back in comfort.

"But…"

"No more buts Sammy, and besides, the Doc said that this disease could go away for months, even years at a time, before making another recurrence. Who says you won't be one of the lucky ones and only have the attacks once in a great while?" Dean stated softly.

"Yeah, like Winchester luck is going to allow that to happen." Sam harrumphed with a snort.

"I know your disheartened with the news Sam and you probably feel like your world is caving in on you right now, but what ever happens, we'll deal with it as a family and move on. You've got to believe that kiddo." Dean retorted knowing just how bad Winchester luck usually was.

"If we're going to deal with it as a family, why isn't dad here? He's already given up on me hasn't he?" Sam said noticing the fact that his dad was nowhere in sight.

"No Sam, he's not here because I made him leave."

"You what?" Sam questioned with astonishment.

"We kind of got into it and I made him leave. I was so upset with him for accusing you of taking drugs and not standing by you that I didn't want him anywhere near you until I was sure you were ready to see him dude." Dean responded, trying to hide the anger he still held for his dad.

"Why did he think that Dean? What did I do to make Dad think I would do such a disgusting thing?" Sam queried somberly as silent tears rolled down his cheek once again.

"I'd like to answer that if you'll let me Sammy." John pleaded with his youngest as he stood at the door to the room waiting for permission to come in. He could see the angry look in Dean's eyes and held his breath as he waited for Sam to respond.

**TBC **_**Will Sammy agree to listen to what his dad has to say? And will it be enough to gain John forgiveness if he does?**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Could it be Vertigo** Ch. 12

**Disclaimer**: See chapter one

**Author's Note: I'm not sure how good it is, but I hope you like it. **

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**Previously**_**: **__"I'd like to answer that if you'll let me Sammy." John pleaded with his youngest as he stood at the door to the room waiting for permission to come in. He could see the angry look in Dean's eyes and held his breath as he waited for Sam to respond._

"Damn it Dad, what the hell are you doing here? Dean seethed as he glanced over to the man standing at the door. "You were supposed to stay away until I knew whether or not Sammy was ready to see you."

"So then why don't you let the kid decide before you go getting your panties in a wad Dean." John spit out as anger gripped him. He didn't need this shit right now.

"What the hell do you think I was trying to do until you barged in just now." Dean retorted as he got up off the bed, fists clenched in anger.

"Damn it Dean, Sam is my son and whether you like it or not, I have every right to be here."

"The hell you do, you gave up that right when you accused Sammy of taking drugs old man. Why can't you just for once…"

"Stop, just please…stop" Sam pleaded as the anger level in the room rose substantially between the other two members of his family. He couldn't handle the way that his father and brother were going at each other with such venomous passion. He could feel a tension headache building from all the stress and his hands trembled as he lifted them to cradle his head.

"Sammy?" John and Dean voiced simultaneously upon seeing the distress their youngest was in.

"M'okay, just please stop yelling at each other." Sam softly begged as a lone tear drifted down his cheek.

"I'm sorry kiddo, it won't happen again." John said as he walked over beside the bed and carded his fingers through Sam's hair trying to comfort his son. He couldn't help but feel guilty for the way that Sammy was feeling now.

"If you want me to leave Sammy, just tell me and I'll go. I never meant to upset you this way son. All I'm asking is for you to just listen to me for five minutes so that I can explain my actions before I go. Please Sammy, just five minutes.

"Okay." Sam whispered with a sigh as he leaned back against the pillow. He really did want to know the reason his dad reacted the way he did.

"Thanks Tiger." John voiced as he took a deep breath to get his thoughts together. "I guess it's best to start from the beginning. Back when I was your age, maybe a year or two younger, I had an older brother that I worshipped with all my heart. And soul We did absolutely everything together, just like you and Dean. He taught me how to ride my first bike without training wheels and how to throw a football the right way. He took me to little league games and to Saturday Matinees where we would pass the whole day just watching movies. Hell, he even took me on a date once with him when he and his girl were going skating so I wouldn't miss out on the phone. I thought my life couldn't be more perfect, but then things changed." John whispered the last part as he swiped a hand across his mouth and lowered his head thinking about the brother he lost.

As the brothers sat listening to John's explanation, they couldn't believe he was actually talking about his own family. They didn't really know anything about either of their parents family since it was something their dad preferred not to talk about it. On the few occasions when they had asked because of homework for a school project, their dad had blown them off saying they would be leaving town soon anyway so why worry about it.

Furtively glancing at Sam, Dean wished he could read what his brother was thinking. He knew Sam was hurt beyond words by the things John had said and done to him, and he honestly didn't know if things could ever be right between them once again. He seriously wondered if he, himself would ever be able to forgive the man. His mind was drawn from that thought however as he heard his dad's voice beginning to speak once again.

"As I said, things changed. "Tom, that's my brother's name, became this person I barely even recognized over the space of a month or two. He became very moody, even depressed at times. He would pick fights with our dad for no reason, or over stupid stuff and would stay out all hours of the night. When he did come home, he would have this glassy look to his eyes and he couldn't walk straight, he'd sway all over the place. My father thought he was getting drunk, but he couldn't smell any booze on him. Mom just said it was growing pains, that he was going through a period of teenage rebellion and that dad should just leave him alone and things would improve. But they didn't, it just got worse as time went on. Tom started struggling with dizziness and nausea and became downright surly with everybody. I couldn't even talk to him without him practically biting my head off. Things got so bad that one day, he just didn't come home. We found out five weeks later that Tom had died of a drug overdose."

Scrubbing his fingers through his hair in agitation, John looked at his youngest and said, "Don't you see Sammy, you were exhibiting the same signs as Tom with your behavior as of late. How could I _not_ assume you were taking drugs?"

"I'll tell you how Dad, because you know Sammy. You know how smart he is and that he would never do something like that. And I'm sorry about your brother, I am. But Sammy isn't him. Sammy told you he wasn't taking drugs and you should have believed him Dad, but you didn't." Dean replied not giving Sam a chance to answer. He could tell that Sam was struggling with everything he had heard and didn't need to deal with the questioning right now.

"Damn it Dean, can't you understand that I did what I did out of love for Sammy. I didn't want him to end up lying dead in some gutter like my brother." John iterated trying to make his oldest understand what he was feeling.

"Love huh, is that why you swatted Sam's ass pretty hard out in the words when he stumbled against you instead of checking to see if the kid was okay first?" Dean retorted with a scowl on his face. "Hell dad, you would have beaten him with the belt if I hadn't stopped you."

"I was wrong Dean, I never should have done that. My first concern should have been for Sammy's welfare and whether or not he was okay." John admitted as he dropped his head in defeat. "And you boys will never know how sorry I am for doing that, but I can't take it back now. All I can do is admit that I was wrong and apologize for it."

Dean was taken by surprise with his Dad actually admitting for once that he was wrong. It was something that John Winchester rarely ever did. "Yeah Dad, you were wrong. I just don't know if an apology is enough for all the heartache and embarrassment you've caused Sammy over the past few days. You should have had faith in him Dad. After all, he is your son."

"I know that Dean, and I will regret my actions for the rest of my life." John stated as he looked at his oldest. Turning to focus his attention on Sammy, he said, "Son, you'll never know how sorry I am for not believing in you when you told me you weren't taking drugs. I know how wrong I was now and I feel horrible having put you through everything I did. I wish I could just snap my fingers and everything would be alright between us once again, but I know it can't. All I can do is to ask for your forgiveness and hope that you will be willing to give it someday, if not today. So what do you say Sammy, is there still a chance that you'll be able to forgive me?"

Closing his eye for just a few moments, Sam thought about everything his dad had said. And yeah, he felt sorry for him with everything he had went through with his own big brother. But it sill hurt him to his very soul that his dad had such little faith in him. Sure, they had had a few rough patches lately, but he'd always assumed his dad knew what kind of person he was and that he would never do something that would needless put their lives in danger. Sighing, he opened his eyes and settled his gaze on his father. "Dad, I really don't know what to say to you right now. Please, I just need some time to think things through. Right now my head is spinning and I just can't….I don't …" Sam drifted off as he turned onto his side with his back facing his dad. He didn't want him to see the tears that were forming in his eyes.

"I think you should leave now Dad, Sammy's really not feeling very well as you can see. And if you love him the way you say you do, then you'll give him the time he needs to deal with everything you've said." Dean voiced as he brushed the bangs from his somber brother's eyes.

"All right, I'll go for now to give Sammy the time he needs to think. But Dean, I want to be kept apprised of anything that happens with his condition. I expect you to call me if he gets worse or the doctor informs you of anything else concerning his health. And I will be back later to visit."

"Yeah, whatever." Dean replied as he kept focused on Sammy. _"You can come back later, but that doesn't mean that Sammy and I will still be here." _Dean thought to himself as he straightened the blanket over his brother's trembling form. He could see the toll that all of this was taking on Sammy and knew it wasn't good for his condition. The doctor had said that stress could be one of the contributing factors in bringing on an attack and Sammy just didn't need that right now.

Reaching out to clasp Sam's shoulder, John gave it a light squeeze. "I love you Tiger, just please, if you don't believe anything else, believe that." John pleaded before turning around and walking slowly out the door. It was hard for him to walk away knowing how Sam was feeling right now. He wished he could pull the boy into his arms and give him a hug, but he knew it wouldn't be welcomed just yet.

Watching John walk away, Dean wondered what he should do. He could see the defeated slump in his dad's posture and knew he was hurting too, but he had to do what was best for Sam. He couldn't allow him to be in an environment where he was uncomfortable and feeling stressed since it wouldn't bode well for the kid's health.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" He whispered upon seeing his brother had fallen asleep once again He knew the doctor would be coming to release Sam soon and h needed to have a plan in place.

**TBC **_**So what will Dean do? Will he take Sammy and leave, or will the boys be willing to give John a second chance? **_


	13. Chapter 13

Could it be Vertigo Ch. 13

Disclaimer: **See chapter one**

* * *

**Previously: **_"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Dean whispered upon seeing his brother had fallen asleep once again. He knew the doctor would be coming to release Sam soon and he needed to have a plan in place. He couldn't allow him to be in an environment where he was uncomfortable and feeling stressed since it wouldn't bode well for the kid's health. _

Making up his mind to take Sammy and hit the road once he was released, he pulled out his cell phone and disabled the GPS tracking device inside it, making sure to do the same thing to Sammy's also. He didn't want his dad to be able to track them down until they ready to be found. He wasn't sure where they would go, maybe to Bobby's, he just knew he couldn't go back to the motel where their dad was staying now. Hearing the soft sound of rustling coming from the bed, he focused his attention on Sammy and waited for his little brother to open his eyes.

Opening his eyes a few moments later, Sam scanned the room to see if his Dad was there, but found only Dean by his bedside.

"Hey Tiger, you feeling any better? Dean queried as he reached out and brushed the bangs away from Sammy's eyes.

"Yeah, I guess. I'd feel a whole lot better though if we were back on the road. When can I get out of here Dean?" Sam asked as he fiddled with the blanket covering his pajama clad legs. He hated hospitals and the smells associated with them. It always meant that someone in his family was sick or hurting.

"How about now, will that be soon enough for you?" Dr. Matthew Wilson answered with a grin as he stepped into the room with Sam's discharge papers in hand. "All I need is for you brother to sign these papers and you're free to go."

"You really mean it, I can go now?" Sam queried, hoping his ears weren't deceiving him. He wasn't looking forward to going back to the hotel and facing his dad, but anything would be better than lying it that uncomfortable hospital bed.

"Sure, as long as your brother picks up the medications I have prescribed here on this paper and promises to keep a close eye on you for the next few days at least. I don't want you doing anything to strenuous until your body has had time to recover from these past few episodes you've experienced with the Meniere's disease." Matthew replied with a stern tone.

"You don't have to worry about that doc, I can promise you Sammy won't be out of my sight for a long time to come. He's going to rest and relax whether he likes it or not." Dean enunciated strongly as the doctor handed the prescription over to him.

"Just make sure he does or the next episode could be severe." Matthew warned as he removed the IV from Sam's hand and then quickly assessed his patient's vitals one last time. "There is a pharmacy on the first floor where you can get the prescription filled." He apprised the brothers before telling Sam to take care of himself and leaving the room so that his patient could get changed.

After helping Sam to get dressed, Dean placed the prescription into his pocket and then smirked as he saw a nurse walking into the room with a wheelchair for his brother to ride in. "Let's go Sammy, you chariot awaits."

"Shut up jerk." Sam retorted as he pushed himself to his feet and slightly swayed upon standing with the change in altitude.

"Whoa, steady there kiddo." Dean voiced as he reached out to grasp Sam's arm to provide support. Helping Sam over to the chair, he gently guided him to sit down and then knelt in front of him, concern evident in his eyes. "You sure you're feeling okay Sammy, I mean maybe you should stay at least one more day just..."

"No Dean, I'm leaving." Sam stated cutting his brother off. "I'm fine, just got a little dizzy upon standing is all."

"Okay, I'll let it go this time." Dean declared as gave his brother a skeptical look. One thing was for damn sure, he would be keeping a vigilant eye on Sam for the foreseeable future.

Following the nurse as she pushed the wheelchair out of the room and down the hall, Dean made sure they stopped by the pharmacy to get Sam's meds before leaving the hospital. He could just imagine what Sam's reaction would be the first time he tried to give him one of the suppositories for nausea that now lay in the bottom of the bag_. "Oh well, I'll cross that bridge when we come to it."_ He thought as he tucked the medicines inside the pocket of his leather jacket.

Exiting the hospital through the sliding glass doors, Dean jogged over to where the Impala was parked, grateful to find it still sitting there. At least their father hadn't left them stranded without a way to go. Quickly unlocking the door and climbing in, he started the engine and then pulled the car over to the curb where the nurse was patiently waiting with his baby brother. Putting the gear in park, he started to climb out of the car, when he saw Sam push to his feet and ease himself into the passenger seat after the nurse had opened the door for him.

"Damn it Sammy, you should have let me help you." He growled as the nurse closed the door once Sam had his legs inside.

"M'not a baby Dean, so don't treat me like one." Sam pleaded with a sigh knowing that Dean was going to be an overbearing mother hen for the next few days.

I know you're not kiddo, but you've been pretty sick the last few days. I'm just worried about you." Dean iterated as he pulled out of the hospital and then turned in the opposite direction of the motel where they had been staying.

"Dean, you turned the wrong way, the motel is back that way." Sam enlightened his brother as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"I know it is Sammy, but we're not going back to the motel. We're going to Bobby's" Dean announced authoritatively. He had decided that Bobby's place would be their best while waiting for Sam's medications to be filled. Sam would be in a place he was accustomed to and he knew Bobby wouldn't put up with any shit from their dad when he found out where they were staying.

"But Dean, you know Dad's going to be pretty pissed when he finds…"

"Let him get pissed kiddo, it's what he deserves for the way he acted." Dean grumbled as he became irritated at his father once again. Yeah, he felt sorry for everything his dad had been through and would eventually forgive him, but now was not that day. Glancing over to see the apprehensive look on Sam's face, Dean patted him on the knee and said, "Don't worry Sammy, everything's gonna be okay, I promise."

* * *

Arriving at the hospital approximately four hours later, John walked into Sam's room to find it empty, both of his boys missing. "What the hell?" He growled as he noticed that the bed seemed to be made up and ready for a new patient. Exiting the room and walking over to the nurse's desk, he slammed a hand down on the polished wood to get her attention. "Where the hell is my son?" He fumed causing people in the hallway to stare.

"Sir, who are you talking about?" The nurse queried, used to dealing with irate family members.

"My son Sam, he was in room 217 and now he's mising."

"Just give me a moment to check my records." The desk nurse, Sarah, stated just as Dr. Wilson walked up.

"Sarah, it's okay, I've got this one." Matthew said with a smile as he grasped John by the arm and led him away from the nurses desk. "First of all John, you need to calm down. I will have you escorted out of the hospital if you cause another scene just like the one at the front desk." Matthew let John know in no uncertain terms.

"Look doc, I'm sorry okay, all I want to know is where my son is since he's not in his room." John apologized as he placed his clenched fists into his pocket to keep from striking out. He didn't have time to deal with this crap.

"Sam was released approximately four hours ago into Dean's care. I assumed the boys were on their way back to you." Matthew answered with a stunned expression, surprised to find out that John didn't know about the release.

"Yeah well you assumed wrong. Sammy is my son and you should have waited until I was here to sign his release papers." John retorted with obvious anger in his voice.

"As you well know, Dean was the one who signed his brother into the hospital for treatment. How was I supposed to know that you didn't want Sam released into his care?" Dr. Wilson retorted angrily himself. "Listen, the hospital could file kidnapping charges against your older son if you would like."

"NO, no, that's not what I want. Please, just tell me if Dean said anything to you about where they might be going." John pleaded with a more calm voice. He definitely didn't need any law enforcement personnel butting into their business. He couldn't take the chance of losing Sam to CPS since he was only sixteen.

"I'm sorry John, Dean didn't say anything about where they were going. If it's of any comfort to you, he said he would be keeping a close eye on Sam and that he would make sure that he got some rest." Matthew answered in a consoling manner.

"Hell I know that, Dean is like a lion protecting it's cub when it comes to Sammy." John voiced before turning his back on the doctor and stomping off. He had to get back to the motel as soon as possible so he could start tracking his children. Jogging over to his car and gunning the engine, he pulled out of the parking lot and raced back to the motel in record time. Flinging open the door and storming inside, he shut the door and punched the wall putting a sizeable dent into it.

"What the hell's crawled up your ass?" Joshua questioned at John's sudden and angry entrance.

"My boys are missing, that's what. According to the doc, Dean and Sammy left the hospital a little over four hours ago." John answered as he picked up the phone and called the phone company.

"Hello, my name is John Kelly and I need you to help me locate my son using the GPS tracking device in his phone. He forgot to take his insulin with him and he's over three hours late for his next dose, he could be in a diabetic coma by now." John informed the operator on the other end of the line. Listening for just a moment, he gave the operator the requested information and then waited for her to pull it up on her computer.

"I'm sorry sir, but it seems as if your son has disabled the GPS tracking device in his phone." The operator stated after rechecking the information on her computer screen. "Would you like me to connect you to emergency services for help.

"No that's okay. I'll call around to some of his friends. Maybe they'll know where he is." John responded before clicking the end button and tossing the phone against the wall. "Damn it!"

"John, calm down. I'm sure we'll find the boys." Joshua grunted as he scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. The last thing he needed to deal with was an irate Winchester.

"Don't tell me to calm down damn it. You know what's out there Joshua and how dangerous it could be for my boys to be out there all alone." John shrieked.

"John, Dean is an excellent hunter in his own right. You know he'll do everything within his power to protect Sammy and keep the kid safe." Josh intoned before taking a deep breath. "And besides, losing your temper isn't going to help find them so just calm your ass down and let's look at this from a hunter's prospective."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." John agreed as he took some deep, calming breaths. "I need to think about what Dean would do, where he might go. It has to be some place where he'd feel secure taking Sammy while the kid isn't in his best form. And I think I know just the place he would go."

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 14**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"I need to think about what Dean would do, where he might go. It has to be some place where he'd feel secure taking Sammy while the kid isn't in his best form. And I think I know just the place he would go." John said._

Picking up his cell phone off the bed, John was glad that it hadn't shattered upon hitting the wall. Quickly scanning through his contact list, he hit the call button when Bobby's name was highlighted in the dial. He only heard a few rings before the gruff hunter's voice came across the line.

"_Singer here." _

"Bobby, it's John. I need to know if you've heard from my boys."

"_Sorry John, I haven't heard from or talked to either Dean or Sammy since the last time you Winchesters stopped by here. Is something wrong?"_

"Not exactly, Dean and I kind of got into it and he took Sammy and left."

"_Damn it John, what the hell did you do?"_

"Nothing, it was just a big misunderstanding." John answered keeping his cool after hearing the anger in Bobby's voice. He didn't want to irritate the man since he would most likely need his help if the boys went elsewhere.

"_It doesn't sound like nothing to me."_

"Listen Bobby, just call me if you hear from them okay. I need to straighten things out with my boys and I can't do that if I don't know where they are." John retorted a little testily before ending the call. It pissed him off that Bobby was blaming him for the whole situation when he had no information about what had happened.

"I take it Bobby hasn't heard from your boys?" Joshua queried, after hearing only John's side of the conversation once the eldest Winchester had cut the call.

"He claims he hasn't heard from them since the last time we were there." John grumbled as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. "I was so damn sure Dean would take Sammy there. I mean there isn't really any other place besides the Impala where the boys have felt like they were at home beside's Bobby's."

"What about Blue Earth? Maybe they went to Jim's place to lay low for a little while" Joshua offered trying to be helpful. He could understand Dean's reasoning for taking Sam and running, but then he also knew the family couldn't work things unless they were together.

"I just don't think Dean would be comfortable bringing Jim into this situation. I just knew they would go to Bobby's place, this doesn't make sense." John voiced.

"Maybe Dean knew you would be thinking along those lines John and decided to go somewhere else." Josh replied.

"Yeah, maybe. I'll just have to figure things out." John groused as he rubbed a weary hand across his mouth. He was going to find those boys and let Dean know just what he thought about their little act of rebellion.

* * *

"Now what the freaking hell was that all about?" Bobby questioned aloud, even though he was by himself. He couldn't help but wonder what could have happened between the Winchesters for Dean and Sam to feel like the actually had to leave their father behind. He had no doubt John was downplaying things and he hoped wherever the boys had went, that they were taking precautions since trouble always seemed to have a way of finding them.

Shaking his head with exasperation, he made his way outside to work on the old Ford Mustang he had promised to have ready for a customer by early next week. He had just popped the hood and was taking a look at the motor when he heard the unmistakable sound of the Impala roaring down the driveway. _"Well if that isn't perfect timing." _He thought as he closed the hood and waited for the classic muscle car to come to a stop

Watching as two weary boys stepped out of the car, he noticed right away how pale and exhausted the youngest Winchester looked and he immediately became concerned, John hadn't mentioned that one of his boys had been sick. He wasn't a bit surprised when Dean hurried around the front of the car and wrapped an arm around Sammy's waist as they started towards him.

"Bobby, I know this is extremely short notice and that I should have called ahead, but we sure could use a place to stay for the next couple of days if you're willing, at least until I can figure something else out." Dean pleaded as he helped Sam up the front steps of Bobby's porch.

"Hell boy, you know you don't even have to ask." Bobby replied as he opened the screen door for the boys to go through. Moving some books off of the sofa, he waited for Dean to help Sammy lay down before tossing a small blanket from the closet over the kid. Standing nearby, he watched as Dean sat beside his brother and carded his fingers through Sam's hair until the kid's breath evened out in sleep.

Motioning his head towards the kitchen, Bobby walked in a poured a cup of coffee for Dean and himself and then sat down in a chair as he waited for Dean to join him. Thrumming his fingers on the table, he somehow knew he wasn't going to like the coming conversation he was about to have with Dean. He waited only long enough for the young hunter to pull out a chair and sit, before asking, "Dean, what the hell is going on?"

"Dad thinks Sammy is taking drugs if you can believe that." Dean answered before taking s sip of the steaming hot brew in the ceramic coffee cup.

"What, you've got to be kidding me right?" Bobby asked, nearly choking on the sip of coffee he had just taken? "Why in the hell would the idjit think something so stupid as that?"

"He had his reasons, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he should have known better." Dean grumbled.

"So tell me, exactly what happened to start John on that line of thinking, I mean's it's just absurd to even think about Sammy doing something like that." Bobby said as he pulled off his trucker's cap and scratched his head.

"I guess it's best to start from the beginning and hit the basics." Dean stated with a sigh. "Joshua had asked for our help on a hunt for a couple of wendigos and while on the hunt, Sammy had an episode of vertigo and fell into dad just as he was about to make a killing shot which knocked his aim off. Dad was so pissed at him that he actually lit into his ass a couple of times with his hand.

"He what?" Bobby exploded as he brought his cup down hard on the table causing some of the amber liquid to slosh over the side, nearly burning his hand.

"Damn it Bobby, he accused Sammy of taking drugs in the middle of a hunt. He said the kid had been acting belligerent, couldn't stay awake and that his glassy eyes proved he was taking something. Hell Bobby, he threatened to beat Sammy with his belt until I interfered and stopped him."

"That stupid son of a bitch, I oughta…"

"That wasn't the worst of it though Bobby, when we got back to the motel, he searched Sam's duffle bag and then made Sammy strip down to his boxers in front of Joshua so he could check for needle tracks. Even when he didn't find anything, he still wouldn't believe Sam wasn't using." Dean voiced with sadness.

"Then what happened?" Bobby queried needing to know. He had enough sense to know that Sam wouldn't do something so damn stupid and wished John had enough sense to know it too.

"Sammy was devastated and locked himself in the bathroom to get away from dad and then had another episode of vertigo. I had to kick the door down to get to him. Knowing that something bad had to be wrong, I took him to the hospital without Dad's knowledge."

"Were they able to find out what was wrong?"

"Yeah, they ran some tests and found out that Sammy has Meniere's Disease." Dean replied as he held the coffee cup between his hands.

"Meniere's Disease, don't think I've heard of that one before." Bobby stated thoughtfully.

"Basically it's a disorder of the inner ear which causes episodes of severe vertigo and could eventually lead to a loss of hearing." Dean explained as he picked at a lose thread on his shirt.

"Wh-what?" Sammy questioned after having woke up in a desperate need to go to the bathroom, overhearing Dean's words.

"_Crap." _Thought Dean, realizing that he hadn't told Sammy that little bit of information about the disease, not wanting to put too much on his shoulders too soon.

"Sammy, it's okay, calm down kiddo. The doctor said that it COULD happen, not that it WILL happen." Dean enunciated as he stood up and walked over to his brother who was swaying on his feet. The last thing he wanted was for Sam to have another one of his episodes from the stress of finding out.

"But Dean…"

"No buts Sammy, we'll cross that road if we come to it. Now what are you doing up kiddo?" Dean queried, trying to get Sam's mind focused on something else.

"I had to u-use the bathroom." Sam answered as he looked towards the stairs with trepidation now that his legs we're feeling so weak."

"Then let me help you up the steps." Dean stated as he wrapped an arm around Sam's waist once again and slowly led him up the stairs and down the small hallway to the bathroom. "Don't lock the door behind me."

"I'm not a baby Dean." Sam groaned as he rolled his eyes at Dean's over protectiveness.

"I know you're not Sam, but you aren't at full strength either and I don't want to have to kick Bobby's door in if you fall or pass out. Bobby would kick my ass." Exiting the bathroom, Dean allowed Sam to do his business in private, though he waited right outside the door. The long ride to Singer Salvage had been hard on Sammy and he was going to mother hen him big time whether his brother liked it or not.

"Okay Tiger, let's get you to bed." He said as Sam came stumbling out of the bathroom. Helping Sam to the room they always shared when staying at Bobby's, he steadied his little brother as he removed his jeans and shoes and then pulled back the blanket for Sam to crawl in the bed. "Get some sleep kiddo." He whispered as he pulled the blanket up over Sam's torso. Grabbing the chair in the corner of the room, he carried it over and placed it beside the bed, determined to be there if Sam woke up and needed him.

* * *

Deciding what his best course of action would be, John said, "Josh, I'm sorry to leave you hanging during this hunt, but I have to find my boys. I'm going to drive down to South Dakota and see if I can enlist Bobby's help in locating them."

"S'okay John, I'll call Caleb and see if he can cover the hunt. Last I heard, he was only about a two hour drive from here. You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Josh asked.

"No, those wendigos have to be taken care of before they can kill anybody else. Besides, the drive will give me a couple of hours to think about what I'm going to say to Bobby when I get there." John replied.

"It's your call dude, but if you need my help, I'm just a phone call away."

"Yeah, I know you are, and thanks Josh, but I've got to handle this on my own." John told the hunter as he began to pack his duffle. Once he had everything tucked inside, he picked it up and hoisted it over his shoulder, before grabbing his sons duffle bags also which were left behind in their haste to leave.

"I'll let you know when I find them." John stated before walking out the door. Placing all three duffles into his rented truck, he climbed behind the wheel and fired up the engine. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out of the parking lot, setting his direction towards Sioux City, South Dalota.

**TBC **_**So how will things go when John arrives at Bobby' s to find his boys there?**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 15**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"I'll let you know when I find them." John stated before walking out the door. Placing all three duffles in the trunk of the Impala, he climbed behind the wheel and fired up the engine. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out of the parking lot, setting his direction towards Sioux City, South Dakota._

After a few hours of driving down the interstate, John wondered how he would explain things when he got to Bobby's place. No doubt the hunter would be in his face questioning him about what had happened, and he needed to have his story straight. He knew Bobby would ream him out about his actions, but surely he could make the man understand his reasoning and sway him to seeing his side of things. It wasn't entirely his fault that his sons had taken off, Sam was at fault too for the way he had been acting over the past few months with his moodiness making him suspect the boy was on drugs.

Scrubbing his fingers through his hair, John sighed as he thought about the way things were between him and Sam. The two of them had been fighting so much lately over Sam's refusal to follow orders and fall in line. The kid just didn't understand how important the hunt was, that it took precedent over everything including his need for a normal life. They didn't have time for regular family outings or those stupid school functions that Sam was always so interested in. _"Why couldn't you be more like your brother?" _John questioned as he thumped his hand on the steering wheel, even though there was no one around to hear him.

Thinking about Dean, John wished that things weren't so tense between the two of them right now. Dean had always been his soldier, agreed with everything he said and did and he had to admit it irked him that Dean had went against him this time. Yeah, he had been wrong about the drug thing, but damn it, he had his reasons and Dean needed to understand that instead of fighting him on it.

Spying the welcome sign up ahead for the town of Sioux City, John knew it wouldn't be too much longer before he arrived at Singer Salvage Yard and he couldn't help but dread the idea of seeing the hunter knowing that Bobby wasn't going to be too happy with him, but he still kept on course. Whether he liked it or not, he needed the hunter's help in finding his boys and he would do whatever it took to get Bobby to help him.

Pulling into the long and winding driveway twenty minutes later, his mouth dropped open at the sight before him. "You son of a bitch, you lied to me." John grumbled as he saw the Impala parked in Bobby's front yard. It pissed him off to no ends that Bobby would outright lie to him knowing how worried he was about his boys. Throwing open the door to his rental truck, he stormed out of the vehicle and up to the front porch. Rapping his knuckles forcefully on the front door, he waited impatiently for Bobby to open the door.

* * *

Bobby had just finished washing the dishes when he heard a strange vehicle pulling into his driveway. _"Wonder who the hell that could be?" _He thought as he dried his hands on the dishtowel and slung it over the rack before making his way towards the living room and the front door. Halfway to the door, he heard the sound of someone knocking forcefully on the door. "Hold your damn horses will ya" He called out to whoever the idjit was on the other side.

Peering through the peek hole before opening the door, he was surprised to see John standing there with an angry scowl on his face. "Just what I need." He grumbled below his breath as he opened the door to face the irate hunter.

"Damn it Bobby, how could you lie to me like that you son of a bitch." John snarled as soon as the door opened. "You told me you hadn't heard from my boys since the last time we were here."

"Now you wait just a damn minute Winchester, if you think you're going to come in my house and call me a liar, you got another think coming. For your frigging information, I hadn't talked to the boys when you called earlier. They just happened to show up after we got off the damn phone so you can just get off your high horse right now and quit acting like an ass." Bobby retorted as he poked a finger into John's chest.

"If that's so, then why the hell didn't you call me back? You knew how worried I was about the boys and whether or not they were okay. Damn it Bobby, I'm their father, you had no right keeping their whereabouts a secret from me."

"He had every right." Dean seethed as he walked down the stairs to join in the quarrel after having heard the commotion all the way up in their room. "You lost your right to knowing where we were when you treated Sam the way you did. Even after finding out from the doctor that Sam wasn't on drugs, you continued to push the issue, convinced the kid was lying."

"And I gave you my reasoning for thinking the kid was on drugs Dean. If you'd just take the time to think things through, you would stop acting like an ass and realize it was an honest mistake." John gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Yeah dad, I understand your reasoning. What I don't understand is why the hell you chose not to believe your own son. You're so damned hardheaded that you think you're always right and refuse to listen to reason, but guess what, you screwed up big time old man." Dean retorted angrily, not believing they were going through this crap again.

"You listen to me Dean, I don't care how upset you are with me right now. You had no right to take Sammy and leave. I could have you arrested on kidnapping charges since your brother is underage." John spat out, too angry to think about the words he was saying.

"What?" Dean questioned with a flabbergasted look upon his face.

"You heard me. I am so sick of…"

"Shut up, just please shut up." Sam pleaded as he stood near the bottom of the steps, head held in his hands. "I can't take this anymore…shit." He cursed as he was once again assailed by a wave of vertigo and lost his balance. He started pitching forward down the last few steps, but Dean caught him and lowered him gently towards the floor.

"Sammy." Dean gasped as he saw his brother pitching forward, about to take a header down the last few steps. Reacting quickly, he caught Sam just in time to keep him from hitting the floor. Looking up towards John as he cradled Sammy's upper body, he said, "Why couldn't you have just stayed away? You know the doctor said that stress brings on the attacks, but you just didn't care." Dean voiced before picking Sam up and carrying his brother to the living room and placing him on the couch. He couldn't help but feel guilty for the part he also played in bringing on this latest episode. He should have kept his temper in check.

"Damn it Dean, don't you blame all this on me, you are partly to blame for this latest…what the hell?" John growled as he suddenly found a gun aimed on him.

"Get out of my house John or I swear to all that's holy, I will shoot your ass full of buckshot." Bobby said as he aimed his gun at John. "That kid has been through enough and I'll be damned if your going to cause him more pain, now GET THE HELL OUT!"

"I'm going, but only because I don't want to upset Sammy anymore than he already is. Whether you two believe it or not, I do love the kid." John said with a sorrowful look towards his youngest before walking out the door.

"Sammy, I'm going to get your meds, it's going to be okay kiddo." Dean said as he palmed the nape of Sam's beck and gave it a gentle squeeze before walking to the kitchen to get his prescriptions, totally ignoring what was going on with his dad and Bobby as the older hunter followed his dad out the door with shotgun in hand. Returning just a few moments later, Dean said, "Sam, I need to give you the suppository first so you'll be able to keep the other meds down."

"Dean, no, please don't" Sam said as he reached down to swat Dean's hands away from his boxer shorts.

"Sammy, I have to. It's the only way to keep you from puking your guts out kiddo." Dean informed his brother

"No, please Dean, I do-don't want it." Sam whispered as he turned expressive moisture filled eyes towards his brother.

"Please Tiger, I can't just stand by and watch you be so sick, it hurts too bad." Dean vocalized, his own eyes brimming with tears.

"Okay." Sam agreed as another wave of vertigo hit him causing his stomach to cramp with nausea.

Opening the foil packet to remove the suppository, Dean lowered Sam's boxers and then gently inserted the medicine as his brother stared ahead, his cheeks red with embarrassment at having Bobby walk back in just in time to witness Dean giving him the medicine.

"How's he doing?" Bobby queried with anxiety at seeing how pale the youngest Winchester looked.

"He'll be okay once the medicines kick in" Dean answered as he pulled Sam's boxers back up over his derriere. "Bobby can you stay with him while I go wash my hands so that I can give him the Lorazepam in a few minutes to help with the dizziness."

"Course I will boy, you don't even have to ask." Bobby replied as he kneeled in front of the couch and placed a calloused hand on Sam's leg and gave it a squeeze. "You just rest easy kid."

Returning a few moments water with a glass of water, Dean gave Sam the rest of his medicine and then held the glass of water containing a straw to his mouth. "Small sips Sammy or you won't be able to keep it down." He waited until Sam motioned that he was finished and then placed the glass on the small stand beside the couch. Grasping the afghan from the back of the couch, he covered his baby brother up with it and then stroked Sam's cheek until his brother faded off into a deep sleep due to the effects of the medication.

"He should sleep for a few hours." Dean said as he glanced over towards Bobby quickly before turning away. He felt a little guilty for bringing so much trouble to the hunter's house.

"Dean, what's bothering you, and don't tell me it's nothing?" Bobby queried noticing the way that Dean had trouble looking him in the eye.

It's just…I'm sorry Bobby." Dean replied somberly

"Sorry, what the hell for?"

For bringing so much trouble to your front doorstep. If we hadn't came here, you wouldn't have had to deal with all this crap. I should have just taken Sammy and went someplace where nobody could find us." Dean replied with a sigh.

"First of all, if you would have taken Sam someplace else other than here, I so would have kicked your ass boy. Secondly, don't go blaming yourself for something your idiot of a father did. You aren't the one who asked him to come here and make trouble so stop taking the blame for it." Bobby enunciated clearly. "You just worry about taking care of that brother of yours and I'll worry about dealing with John."

"Thanks Bobby, I don't know what we would have done without you." Dean stated as he tenderly brushed the bangs away from his sibling's eyes. He was thankful to have some back up support in taking care of Sammy while trying to figure out what their next move would be.

**TBC **_**So what will the boy do now?**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Could it be Vertigo** Ch. 15

Disclaimer: **See chapter one**

* * *

**Previously: **_"Thanks Bobby, I don't know what we would have done without you." Dean stated as he tenderly brushed the bangs away from his sibling's eyes. He was thankful to have some back up support in taking care of Sammy while trying to figure out what their next move would be._

As Dean and Bobby sat in the kitchen later that evening drinking coffee and discussing the events of the previous few hours, Dean was surprised when he saw Sam come stumbling into the room in his boxers and t-shirt. "Hey kiddo, what are you doing up? Are you feeling okay? You should have hollered for me." Dean said as he stood up to help his shaky brother over to the table. Upon receiving no answer, Dean grasped Sam by the chin and gently turned his face to look at him. "I asked you a question Sammy, are you feeling okay dude?

"Yeah, I'm okay. I…I didn't year ya." Sam answered groggily as he swiped a hand through his disheveled hair as Dean helped to ease him down in a chair at the table.

A genuine look of concern crossed Dean's face upon hearing Sam's remark. He knew Sam's doctor had said his hearing would fluctuate after an episode, but he didn't think it would be bad enough for Sam to completely miss snatches of conversation. "_Maybe it's the medication that has him out of sorts." _He thought as he noticed the glassy look in Sam's eyes and the way the kid seemed to be out of it.

"Dean, where's Dad?" Sam queried, noticing for the first time that their father wasn't there. The last thing he remembered was pleading with his family to stop arguing before his world started spinning on him again.

"I sent him on his way Tiger." Bobby answered for Dean nonchalantly. "Threatened to shoot him in the ass with buckshot."

"Wha…why would you do that?" Sam asked in surprise as he swiveled his head around to look at Bobby, regretting the movement instantly as dizziness overtook him once again. Groaning, He wished he would just get well again. Lately, he felt like crap most of the time and it was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Whoa, easy there Sammy." Bobby voiced as he reached out to steady the youngest Winchester before he could fall out of his seat.

"M'okay, I just moved too fast is all." Sam mumbled as he raised a hand to his ailing head. He knew better than to close his eyes since it would make things worse.

"Maybe so, but I think it's time we got you to bed." Dean intervened as he kneeled down in front of his younger sibling and visually checked him over.

"Dean, I'm not a baby." Sam grumbled as he rested his head on his forearms.

"I know you're not kiddo, but there's no sense in pushing yourself when you don't have to. Besides, I'm ready for bed myself." Dean stated knowing that would be about the only way to get Sam to agree to getting some rest himself.

"Kay, guess I could use a little sleep." Sam replied as he tiredly exhaled. Allowing Dean to help him up, he leaned on his brother as they slowly made their way up the stairs to where there room was located.

"Dean, you think Dad will ever stop being an ass and admit to being wrong?" Sam asked shyly as he chewed on his bottom lip while trudging down the small hallway.

"Why do you ask that kiddo?" Dean questioned as he tightened the arm he had around Sam's shoulder and gave him a light squeeze.

"I just…I just want him to believe in me Dean. Even though we argued a lot, I always thought he had faith in me, that he loved me." Sam admitted despondently.

"He does love you Sam, you don't have to doubt that for even one second. It's just that he doesn't know how to show it most of the time." Dean responded, the words giving him pause to think about John's actions over the past week or so. Yeah, he went about things totally the wrong way, but if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that their dad loved them. "Just give it some time Sammy, sooner or later he'll come around and things will get back to normal, well as normal as they can get with our family anyway."

Arriving at the bedroom and entering, Dean pulled back the blankets on the bed furthest from the door. "Climb in Tiger." He encouraged with a nod of his head, glad to see Sam oblige so willingly.

"Dean, ya think Bobby really would have filled Dad's behind with buckshot like he threatened to do?" Sam asked as he lay down, his penchant for questioning showing itself.

"Damned straight he would have. Bobby doesn't take any shit, not even from Dad." Dean responded with a grin. "Now try to get some sleep little brother." Dean prodded as he sat down on the bed and nudged Sam over. Rubbing a hand soothingly up and down Sam's arm, Dean prayed that John would get his act together because the way things were now were obviously getting to his baby brother more than he had thought they were.

* * *

Laying on the bed in his motel room that evening, John sighed forlornly as he stared at the ceiling. Once again, he had managed to make a mess out of things because he didn't take the time to stop and think before reacting. No, he let his anger rule his head and now things were worse than ever where his boys were concerned. Not only had he managed to push Dean away even further, but he also had inadvertently caused Sam to have another stress induced vertigo attack. God, how he wished he could take the past couple of hours back and redo them. Scrubbing a calloused hand over his chin, he didn't think he would ever forget the look in Dean's eyes as he cradled Sammy and asked why he couldn't have just stayed away.

"_Am I making things so bad that my kids really wish I would just stay away?" _He pondered as he picked at the threadbare blanket he was laying on. Surely Dean didn't mean it when he accused him of not caring did he? Thinking back on the situation, he found he really couldn't be sure of the answer. Over the past couple of months, he had been more their drill sergeant than their father. When was the last time he had taken them to do something fun for a change? He honestly couldn't remember. Yeah, they were teenagers, nearly men now, but that didn't mean they couldn't just kick back and have some fun for a change. No wonder Sammy had started rebelling on him the way he did. Suddenly feeling lower than a snake's belly, he rose up off the bed and snatched his jacket off the hook by the door, he really needed a drink.

Walking across the parking lot to the bar just across the road, he entered the dumpy establishment to find the mood inside to be a somber one. _"Perfect, just what I need to brighten my night."_ He though with a smirk as he sidled up to the bar and ordered a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Taking his beer and sitting down in the corner of the room so no one could approach him from behind, he glanced around the room to see a few old men drinking away their sorrows while a sad song played on the jukebox, each lost in their own desolate thoughts.

Twisting the long neck beer bottle between his fingers, John's mind slipped back to the confrontation with Bobby earlier. He had never seen the gruff hunter so upset before in his life as he did when Bobby threatened to shoot him and over his own son no less. Raising the bottle to his lips and taking a long swig, he seriously wondered if Bobby would shoot him, or worse, let him get within a mile of the boys while they were staying at his place. He knew he would have to call Bobby sooner or later and talk things out with the man if he was going to get the chance to make things right with his boys once again.

Sighing through an exhale, John set the nearly full bottle down on the table and then stood up to leave. The last thing he needed was to get drunk and suffer a hangover in the morning. He needed a clear head if he was going to figure out a way to win his boys back. Pulling his wallet out, he threw a couple of dollars on the table and made his way towards the exit, but soon found his way blocked by a young woman dressed in flamboyant clothing and loud makeup.

"Hey sugar, you look like you could use a little female company for the night." The young woman cooed in John's ear as she grasped him by the arm and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek with promise of things to come.

"Sorry sweetheart, not tonight." John stated as he turned down the woman's proposition and walked out the door into the cool night. His boys were more important to him than a roll in the hay.

Walking back across the street to his motel, he gathered his things in his duffle and tossed it into the truck. Maybe he couldn't be there with his boys tonight, but at least he could be close to them.

Cranking up the engine, he shifted the gear into drive and made his way down the highway until arriving at the entrance to Singer Salvage Yard. Pulling his truck off the road, he parked it at the bottom of the long and winding driveway, determined to be close by should anything happen. Grabbing his sleeping bag out of the lockbox in the back, he settled himself as best he could before locking the doors and wrapping the sleeping bag around himself to stay warm.

Sitting there in the dark, he silently made a vow to himself to do whatever it took to get his boys to trust him again. In the morning, he would telephone Dean instead of just showing up at Bobby's front door. He would plead for one more chance to make things right between them and allow the boys to decide if they were ready or not. He would accept their decision no matter what, even if it meant he would have to wait another day. He had to let his boys take the lead and then follow their cues.

As his eyes closed, John knew his most important job would be gaining back the love of his boys, and for that to happen, things would have to change. He would start with apologizing profusely to Sam and then let him know just how wrong he was to think he had been using drugs. He knew how much he had hurt Sammy by accusing him of being careless during the hunt and he would have to work to gain Sam's trust and convince the kid that he believed in him and his ability to do the right thing. Fading off to sleep, he whispered a prayer to Mary to help him do the right thing before he lost his boys altogether.

**TBC **_**Will John be able to set his plan in motion, or will his anger get the better of him once again? Does he deserve another chance where his boys are concerned?**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 17**

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_John knew how much he had hurt Sammy by accusing him of being careless during the hunt and he would have to work to gain Sam's trust and convince the kid that he believed in him and his ability to do the right thing. Fading off to sleep, he whispered a prayer to Mary to help him do the right thing before he lost his boys altogether._

Awaking early the next morning as the sunlight streamed through his truck window, John groaned as he sat up. Damn, he'd forgotten how uncomfortable it was to sleep in a vehicle. Opening the door, he slid out of truck and stretched to get the kinks out of his back. Looking up the winding driveway to see Bobby's house, he wished he could go inside knowing the hunter would have a fresh pot of coffee percolating right now. He sure could use a strong dose of caffeine to wake him up. Not only that, but he was also feeling the urgent need to relieve himself after a long night. Opening the door of the truck and getting out, John sighed as he walked off into the woods near the driveway. He didn't have the luxury of a bathroom this morning. Finishing his business, he returned to the truck and found some bottled water and Germ-X to sanitize his hands with so he could place the first call towards getting his boys back.

Reaching into his jacket pocket to get his cell phone, John pulled the device out and flipped the top up. Scanning though his list of contacts until Dean's name was highlighted, he thought for a few moments before hitting the call button. He just didn't know if he could take Dean turning him down right now. Battling his anxious feelings, he hit the button and placed the phone to his ear. He wasn't sure exactly what he would say, he just knew he had to try. Chewing his bottom lip, he heard the phone begin to ring. "Come on son, please pick up." He whispered reverently upon hearing three rings. He was disappointed seconds later as the call went through to voice mail and he heard, _"This is Dean, leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

Expelling a breath in defeat, he knew Dean had refused to take his call. His son rarely avoided answering the phone knowing a life could be on the line if a hunt were involved. Deciding to leave a message, he said, "Dean, I need to talk with you. You can't avoid me forever son. I know I messed up, but I'm trying to do better. I want us to be a family again son. I know I was wrong about Sammy and I don't deserve to be forgiven by either of you, but I'm still your father. All I'm asking for is a second chance to show you boys how much I love you. I know, I never say that, but I'm telling you now. Please Dean, give me the chance to make things up to you and Sammy. I'll follow your lead as far as Sammy is concerned until you feel you can trust me with him once again. Please, just think it over Ace and discuss it with Sammy. I'll be waiting for your call."

Hanging up the phone, John hoped his words would get through to Dean. He honestly didn't know what else to say to get through to him about how sorry he was for what he had done. All he could do now was pray that Dean heard the pleading tone in his voice and that he would talk things over with Sammy. He didn't want to live the rest of his life without his boys in it. That just wouldn't be a life worth living.

Leaning against his truck, he bowed his head towards his chest. "Please Lord, I know I'm not a praying man, and that I don't deserve to have my prayer answered, but I just need one more chance with my boys." John whispered reverently. If Jim believed that God was truly there and that he heard prayers that came from the heart, then just maybe his would get through. Heaven knows he wasn't the praying kind, that he hadn't been a religious man ever since Mary had been taken away, but he hoped that he would be forgiven and that his prayer would be answered.

* * *

Dean had just finished his shower and was getting dressed when he heard his cell phone ringing. Snatching it up off the small dresser before it could wake Sammy, he saw his father's name highlighted on the dial. "Why can't you just leave us alone." He thought as he switched the phone over to silent mode and tossed it on the bed so that he could finish getting dressed. Pulling on his black Metallica t-shirt, he wondered if he should check the message he knew his father would leave, especially after what Sam had said to him last night about questioning his dad's love. He knew Sammy was hurting, but he couldn't help but be scared that John would hurt him worse in the long run.

Picking the phone up and placing it in his pocket, he walked over to his brother's bed and placed his palm on Sam's forehead to check for fever. Pleased to find him relatively cool to the touch, he lightly brushed his fingers through Sam's hair and silently left the room, making sure to leave the door open so he could hear if Sam needed him. Walking down the hallway, he could smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing and was thankful Bobby was such an early riser since he couldn't seem to fully function in the morning without having a cup of the strong, hot brew first.

Walking down the steps and into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee, Dean saw Bobby sitting at the table with a cup of his own. "Morning Bobby." Dean said as he situated himself in one of the chairs opposite of the more experienced hunter.

"Morning Dean, how's Sammy?" Bobby questioned with a yawn as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

"He's still sleeping, didn't want to wake him." Dean answered as he took a tentative sip of the coffee, wincing as it nearly scorched his tongue.

"Heard your cell phone ringing. Hope you boys haven't decided to head out on a hunt." Bobby stated, hoping Dean wasn't contemplating getting back to the hunt after the episode Sam had experienced the previous day. It was just too soon for the kid. He needed to go at least a couple of weeks or more without an episode before it would be safe for him to do so.

"No, it's too soon to even think about that. Actually, it was Dad who called." Dean replied. "I didn't answer though, I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"Well, ya know you boys are welcome to stay here as long as ya like. And you don't have to worry about dealing with your dad until you're ready to. I'll make sure he doesn't bother you boys here." Bobby responded to make sure Dean knew where he stood as far as things were concerned.

"Thanks for that Bobby." Dean said appreciatively. "But I'm not so sure as to what I should do now."

"What do you mean son?" Bobby queried as he watched Dean twiddle with the cup in his hands.

"It's Sammy, even though he hasn't said it, I know he's missing Dad. He asked me last night if I thought Dad would ever stop being an ass. He really wants Dad to believe in him. Hell Bobby, he was even questioning Dad's love for him last night."

"John Winchester might be an idjit, but if there's one thing I know, it's that he loves you boys with all his heart." Bobby voiced in defense of the man even though he wanted to shoot him at times.

"I tried to tell Sammy that, but I'm not sure I got through." Dean retorted as he looked at the grizzled hunter. "What should I do Bobby? Should I give him another chance to possibly hurt Sammy?"

"Dean, I can't tell you what to do, but maybe you should talk to the man, see what he has to say, at least for Sammy's sake. I don't want you to end up regretting your decision in the long run." Bobby answered.

"Guess I better think about things then." Dean said with a sigh.

"Think about what?" Sam questioned as he came down the stairs dressed in sweats and his hair disheveled. He was relieved to find that his hearing was relatively back to normal this morning and hoped it would stay that way, even though his ears were beginning to get that rinnging sound again.

"Hey kiddo, I didn't know you were awake, how are you feeling?" Dean questioned in surprise upon seeing his brother.

"You didn't answer me Dean." Sam said as he walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a bowl of cereal before walking to the refrigerator to get the milk.

"Sammy, we were talking about Dad." Dean admitted honestly not wanting to keep things from his brother.

"Oh" Sam replied sullenly as he walked over to the table and plopped down in a chair and poured himself some cereal. He couldn't help but wonder if his Dad had decided to leave them behind.

"Sammy, he called this morning" Dean informed his brother as he saw how downhearted his brother looked.

"What did he say?" Sam asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer. He couldn't take any more disappointment from his dad than he'd already been through.

"Honestly, I don't know" Dean answered. "I didn't answer the call, I let it go to voice mail instead since I wasn't ready to talk to him yet."

"Dean, we're going to have to give him a chance to talk with us sooner or later." Sam voiced just above a whisper, not wanting to make his brother angry.

"I know that kiddo, and we will. I'm just afraid of him hurting you again. Please, just give me a little time to think things though, okay Sammy?"

"Yeah, okay. I understand how you feel Dean, so don't worry, we're good. I'm going to go take a shower now." Sam said as he finished off his bowl of cereal and then carried it over to the sink.

"Be careful, and leave the door unlocked just in case." Dean stated, worried that Sam could have another attack while in the shower.

"Yes mother" Sam retorted as he rolled his eyes at Dean's overprotective ways.

"Bitch." Dean replied as his brother walked away with an automatic retort of "Jerk" coming back from Sam.

Watching his brother go up the stairs, Dean waited for the shower to turn on before pulling his phone out of his pocket. Dialing the password code to retrieve his messages, he placed his phone to his ear and heard his dad's voice come over the line.

"_Dean, please, I need to talk with you. You can't avoid me forever son. I know I messed up, but I'm trying to do better. I want us to be a family again son. I know I was wrong about Sammy and I don't deserve to be forgiven by either of you, but I'm still your father. All I'm asking for is a second chance to show you boys how much I love you. I know, I never say that, but I'm telling you now. Please Dean, give me the chance to make things up to you and most especially to Sammy. I'll follow your lead as far as Sammy is concerned until you feel you can trust me with him once again. Please, just think it over Ace and discuss it with Sammy. I'll be waiting for your call."_

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Dean felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. He knew Sammy wanted them to be a family again too, but he couldn't help feeling that John would screw things up. And if Sammy got hurt again, it would be his fault this time for allowing John to get near him again. "What am I supposed to do?" he questioned even though nobody was around. Knowing that Sam had a right to hear what was said and to help make the decision as to what would be done, he slowly climbed the stairs to wait for his brother to finish his shower. He had only a few moments to wait as Sam entered their bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Walking over to the window and looking out it, he allowed Sam the time to get dressed in privacy before turning to face him.

"Sammy, I've listened to Dad's message and I think you need to hear it too." He stated as he handed over the phone. He watched as a myriad of emotions cross his baby brother's face as he listened to the words their father was saying.

As Sam listened to the message, he had to concentrate on what was being said. He managed to catch the gist of the conversation even though he couldn't hear a fourth of the words said because of the ringing in his ears. Handing the phone back to his brother, he said, "Dean, I think we should at least talk to Dad. I mean he sounded sincere about wanting to do better."

Sighing deeply, Dean said, "Okay little brother, I'll go along with your decision for now. But if you start to feeling the least little bit uncomfortable around him, you tell me and I'll make sure he leaves. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal." Sam answered knowing Dean wouldn't let the meeting occur otherwise.

**TBC So will John finally make peace with his boys, or will he manage to mess things up once again?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 18**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_Sighing deeply, Dean said, "Okay little brother, I'll go along with your decision for now. But if you start to feeling the least little bit uncomfortable around him, you tell me and I'll make sure he leaves. Have we got a deal?"_

"Deal." Sam answered knowing Dean wouldn't let the meeting occur otherwise.

"So, do you want to call him or should I?" Dean questioned, not wanting Sam to feel pressured about making the first move towards reconciliation. His brother was under enough stress as it was with everything that had gone on lately.

"Would you mind doing it?" Sam asked sheepishly since it was him that wanted the meeting. He really wanted to talk to his dad, but was still leery of doing so, afraid that John still didn't believe in him, that this could all be a ploy to get them back.

"So, before I make this call, I need to know when and where you want this meeting to occur Tiger? I think it should be here at Bobby's just in case things go south on us and you need your medication." Dean said as he waited for Sam to answer before making the call.

"Okay, that's fine by me, I'd rather have Bobby close by anyway. Can we, uh, can we talk with Dad this afternoon? I just, I need to know if he meant what he said Dean. I need to know if we can be a family again." Sam voiced softly, his blue-green eyes misting with tears.

"I know ya do kiddo, that's why I'm agreeing to this meeting. But don't think I won't put a stop to it in a heartbeat if he pulls some of his usual crap." Dean said, letting Sammy know where he stood. "One smart assed remark or accusation against you and he's out of here, even if I have to physically throw him out."

"It'll be okay Dean, it has to be." Sam stated. He had no doubts that Dean would go through with his threats if John messed up. He knew Dean loved and worshipped the man, but he also knew that his dad took second place when it came to him. There wasn't anything Dean wouldn't do to make sure he was safe, even from their own father. He just hoped that his old man understood that this could very well be his last chance to connect with them.

"We'll see Sammy, we'll see." Dean retorted as he picked up his cell phone and hit the speed dial. He couldn't help but silently pray for Sammy's sake that John didn't let the kid down.

* * *

Sitting on the tailgate of his truck as he glanced up the driveway towards Bobby's place, John wondered what his boys were up to. Bobby would have woken them up by now and fed them a hearty breakfast since he was an early riser and he was grateful that the hunter was watching over his boys, even if he had threatened to shoot him with buckshot the day before. At least he knew his boys were being well taken care of and that they were well protected with the wards and sigils around Bobby's place.

Glancing at his watch, he wondered if Dean had taken the time to listen to his message yet. He was really hoping he would have heard something by now since it had been almost two hours since he had placed the call. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't sounded sincere enough in his message. But his words had came from the heart and he just didn't know what else he could say to get them to listen. Hanging his head, he was about to admit defeat, at least for today, when the phone suddenly buzzed causing him to jump.

Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he was elated to see Dean's name highlighted but couldn't help but be anxious at the same time, wondering what his oldest boy would say. Raising the phone to his ear, he took a deep breath and said, "Hello son. I've been hoping you would call."

"Yeah, well, I hope I'm not making a mistake by doing so, but we've decided to listen to what you have to say Dad." Dean stated honestly letting his dad know that he still wasn't totally sure about the meeting.

"You won't be sorry Dean. Just let me know when and where and Ill be there." John said, hope building within his heart for the first time since this whole ugly mess got started.

"Three o'clock, here at Bobby's place. We'll sit and talk on the front porch. And Dad…"

"Yeah Dean?"

"If you hurt him again…" Dean trailed off leaving John to think about the unstated threat.

"I won't Dean. If you or Sammy feel uncomfortable at any time, just tell me and I'll go. I don't want to push things." John said to let Dean know he was serious about making things work this time.

"I'm going to hold you to that. We'll see you at three." Dean said before hitting the end button and cutting off the conversation. He didn't feel like making small talk with the old man.

Placing the phone back into his jacket pocket, John decided to run to town to get something to eat. The meeting wasn't for a couple of hours yet, and it would help him to pass the time. He didn't want to allow himself the time to get nervous because getting nervous meant his mouth could run amuck, causing him to say the wrong thing which in turn, could cost him his boys.

* * *

Watching the clock on the wall, Sam tried not to get too nervous as the time began to draw near for his father's visit. He was already having trouble with his hearing, not to mention the pressure that was building in his ears, and he was afraid another vertigo attack was just around the corner. He hoped he was wrong since the last thing he needed was for another attack to occur in front of his dad, making him look weak. He couldn't help but thrum his fingers nervously on his legs as he looked towards the clock once again.

"Sammy, are you okay?" Dean asked as he walked into the room to see the tense look on his little brother's face and his fingers nervously thumping on his leg. Sam looked like he was about to get sick. He knew his brother was already feeling anxious and now he was beginning to regret his decision in allowing the meeting to occur.

"Huh?" Sam asked, turning to face Dean as he heard a garbled sound coming from his brother's mouth. He knew Dean had asked him something, but wasn't quite sure what.

"I asked if you were okay?" Dean repeated a little louder as he looked at Sam with concern clearly showing in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just a little apprehensive about what's going to happen. Dean, what if I have another attack in front of Dad?"

"Sammy, that's not going to happen. I'll make sure he doesn't push you to the breaking point." Dean tried to soothe as he sat beside his brother. "I'll make him leave before…"

"Dean, my ears are already ringing and I can feel the pressure building in them." Sam admitted just as the doorbell rang.

"Shit" Dean groaned, looking at the clock to see that it was three. "Try not to worry kiddo, we'll get through this." Giving Sam's shoulder a squeeze, he helped his brother to his feet and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as they walked to the door together. Opening the door, Dean ushered Sam out and had him sit in one of the chairs as he leaned on the porch railing beside him making sure to keep between his baby brother and John. He couldn't help but worry about Sammy who had his head dropped towards his chest with his eyes cast down towards the porch floor. _"Damn, I knew this was a bad idea." _He thought forlornly

"So, you wanted to say something?" Dean queried as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked at John with a steely gaze.

Looking at Sammy, John felt the pain of sorrow in his chest knowing his youngest was still wary of him and that he had every right to be. He had been a major ass towards his youngest and it was now up to him to set things right. Drawing in a deep breath, he let the words start to flow.

"Boys, I just want to say how sorry I am. I never should have acted the way I did. I was a major ass and I know that now." Focusing his attention solely on Sam, he said, "Hell kiddo, I should have known you were too smart to take dru….to do something so stupid on a hunt. I don't know, maybe I've become to consumed with the hunt and need to take a break, focus on you boys for a little while and find out just who my sons are. What I'm trying to say Sammy is that I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I want you to know that I am so, so sorry and that I love you kiddo. And I just hope that maybe one day, you'll be able to forgive me Tiger." Taking a hesitant breath, John waited for Sammy to respond.

As Sam sat listening to his dad, he heard only bits and pieces of what was being said. _"I just want to say….never should have….something so stupid…" _At this point Sam stopped listening and his heart dropped, after everything that happened, his dad still believed that he was doing drugs. Becoming extremely agitated, he could feel the dizziness starting to take hold and knew an attack was imminent.

"Dean." He whispered as he looked up at his brother with shattered eyes. "It's happening again."

"_Son of a bitch, not now." _Dean thought as he quickly kneeled in front of his brother. "Okay kiddo, you've got to calm down or the attack will be much worse." He voiced softly as he palmed Sam's cheeks.

"Sammy, we've got to get you laying down. The doc said the attacks will be easier on you if you're lying on something firm and stare at a stationary object." Dean said as he eased Sam off of the chair and down onto the porch. Once he had Sammy lying down, he pulled off his shirt and placed it under Sam's head to pillow it. "Okay kiddo, you need to focus on the Impala and nothing else."

"Dean, please, let me help." John pleaded as he knelt beside his boys, his concern for Sam skyrocketing.

"I don't know if….look, I've got to go get his meds before things get worse, just sit with him and try to keep him calm." Dean said, hoping he was doing the right thing. Sam needed his meds desperately and Bobby was out in the shed working on a car.

"I'll do my best." John said as he parked his behind on the porch beside his youngest and started carding his fingers through Sammy's hair. He felt guilty knowing he most likely was the reason this latest attack happened. "I'm so sorry kiddo, maybe I should have stayed away, but I just wanted to let you know how much I love you and need you boys and that I was wrong." He cooed as he tenderly brushed away the tears that were beginning to cascade down Sam's cheeks. John watched as Dean returned with the medicines and then knelt down in front of Sam and began unbuckling his pants.

"Dean what are you..."

"He has to have the suppository first or he'll throw up the other meds." Dean explained without looking up as he pulled Sam's jeans down. He was grateful when his father returned his attention to taking care of Sam so that he could administer the medicine in privacy. Once he finished, he allowed his dad to continue comforting Sammy, so he could go to the bathroom to wash his hands before giving Sam the rest of his medicine.

Laying there on the porch, Sam couldn't figure out why his dad was trying to comfort him. If the man still believed he was still using, then why would he go out of his way to try and make him feel better? He began to wonder if those missed pieces of the conversation led him to the wrong conclusion, but his head hurt too damn bad to even think about it right now.

Sitting there with Sam, John continued to try and soothe his youngest until he heard an angry growl of _"What the hell?" _Turning around to where the sound came from, he saw an irate Bobby glaring daggers at him and new the man was highly upset. Raising his hands in innocence, John said, "Bobby, it's not what you think."

"Then just what the hell is it?" Bobby asked as he started walking menacingly towards John, his fists clenching to the point his knuckles were turning white. "What the hell did you just do?"

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 19**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"Then just what the hell is it?" Bobby asked as he started walking menacingly towards John, his fists clenching to the point his knuckles were turning white. "What the hell did you just do?"_

Bobby, I didn't do anything, I swear. We were just talking and Sammy collapsed." John stated in a hurry as Bobby approached. "Look man, I know you're angry, but it isn't what it looks like."

"You couldn't prove that by me you sorry son of a bitch." Bobby growled as snatched John by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him up and away from Sammy. "I'm gonna kick your ass to hell and back." Bobby enunciated strongly as he pushed John down the steps and away from the youngest Winchester who was too incapacitated to defend himself right now.

"Damn it Bobby, just listen to me for a second would ya?." John panted out as he stumbled before catching himself on the railing to keep from falling. "You've got this all wrong."

"I warned you John, now your going to pay." Bobby swore, ignoring John's words as he threw his fist and connected with the hunter's right cheek.

"Shit." John cursed as his head snapped back from the stinging blow. He didn't want to fight with Bobby since he knew his motive was protecting Sammy, but he wasn't going to just stand there and get his ass handed to him. Taking a protective stance, he said, "Bobby, I don't want to fight you, but I'm not just going to stand here and let you kick my ass when I didn't do anything wrong. I was trying to help Sammy whether you believe it or not. Dean asked me to watch over him until he could wash his hands."

"And why the hell should I believe you stubborn asshole?" Bobby queried as he advanced on the hunter once again.

"Because it's true Bobby." Dean answered quickly upon returning outside to see what was happening between his dad and Bobby. "It wasn't his fault this time." Dean informed the angry hunter as he bent down to check on Sammy. He could see the tears trailing down his brother's cheeks and knew the fight was making things worse. He had to calm everybody down, or Sam's attack could be much more severe. "It's going to be okay kiddo." He whispered encouragingly as he brushed the tears away from Sam's face with his thumb before turning towards his dad and Bobby with a scowl upon his face.

"If you two are determined to fight, then you need to take it elsewhere because your upsetting Sammy and making things worse on him." Dean voiced before returning his attention to his baby brother. Grasping the medicine for the dizziness from his pocket and removing the cap, Dean shook out one of the little white pills.

"Open up for me Sammy." He encouraged and then placed the small oblong pill in Sam's mouth when he complied. Holding a glass of water with a straw in it close to Sam's mouth, he let his brother sip just enough to get the pill down before removing it once again. Placing a blanket over Sam, He watched as his brother's eyes slipped close, exhaustion pulling him under.

Hearing footsteps approach, he looked up to see a guilty looking Bobby and John approaching.

"Dean…"

Placing a finger to his lips, Dean signaled for his dad and Bobby to be quiet so they wouldn't wake up Sammy. The only thing that would help his baby brother now was to get some desperately needed sleep. Motioning for the others to follow him, Dean walked over to the far end of the porch where he turned to face his dad and the man who was like a second father to him.

"Just what in the hell were you two thinking, pulling that crap in front of Sammy?" Dean queried angrily through gritted teeth, his voice just above a whisper.

"Dean, it's not my fault." John began, worried that Dean would kick him out of their lives again. "I tried to get Bobby to listen, but…"

"He's right Dean. It's my fault." Bobby stated as he cut John off mid explanation. "I came around the porch and saw Sammy laying there dazed with John bending over him and I just lost my temper. I thought he had caused Sammy to have another attack. "

"Yeah, I know and I guess I'm partly to blame for that." Dean stated as he hung his head, knowing he should have warned Bobby about the meeting ahead of time so Bobby would have been apprised of the situation before it escalated. "I should have thought to warn you that Dad was coming at three so we could talk to him, but Sammy started feeling a little uneasy and I just…I forgot."

"That's totally understandable Dean with everything you boys have been through lately." Bobby cajoled, trying to ease the burden of guilt from Dean's shoulders. He hated the way Dean's shoulders seemed to sag, thinking he'd played a part in his brother getting sick again. Deciding that they needed to get things settled once and for all, he said, "Look I know things seem overwhelming right now, but we need to get Sammy back inside where he can rest better and then we need to sit down and talk about where things go from here.'

Running his fingers through his hair in thought, Dean knew Bobby was right. They had to settle things once and for all for Sammy's sake. "You're right Bobby, just let me get Sam and get him settled up stairs and then we can talk. And Dad, that includes you too. We have to settle things if Sammy's ever going to have a decent life." Dean voiced with certainty.

* * *

Once Dean had settled Sam in their room and made sure his brother was okay and out for the count, he slowly made his way downstairs. He knew he needed to talk calmly with his dad and find out where they both stood as far as Sam was concerned. Things couldn't keep going the way they were because it was tearing his baby brother apart. Sam was tenderhearted and needed his family together and Dean was going to do his best to give him that, as long as John understood there would have to be some changes made.

Arriving in the kitchen, he saw Bobby and his dad sitting at the table in relative silence and he could feel the tension between the two. He just hoped they would keep their wits about them without exploding at each other. Walking over to the coffee pot sitting on the stove, he poured himself a cup of the strong brew knowing he was going to need it. Turning to face the other two, he pulled out a chair and sat down opposite of them. Taking a sip of the hot liquid, he glanced furtively at their faces to see each lost in their own thoughts. Clearing his throat to get their attention, he asked, "So who's going to get this conversation started?"

"How about I give it a whirl?" John answered as he unconsciously twirled his own cup of coffee between his fingers. "First of all, I want you to know that I meant what I said over the phone Dean, I'll do whatever it takes to get you boys back in my life. I'll never forgive myself for placing you into the position where you felt you had to take your brother and run. I never should have given you a reason to make you feel like you couldn't trust me anymore with Sammy. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me one day."

"Dad, I hope you mean what you just said because you, _no we_, are going to have to make some changes if we are to come back. By that, I mean you're going to have to slack up some on the hunt and training where Sammy is concerned. You have to give him the time to adjust to the change in his life now that he's going to be dealing with Meniere's disease. No more yelling at him and telling him to 'suck it up' just because he's a Winchester, that wont sit well with me or Sam anymore." Dean replied to the words his father had said.

"I'll do my best Dean. I know I can be a bastard sometimes, but I swear I'll try to do better where you're brother is concerned. If you feel like I'm pushing him too hard, then tell me. I've been the drill sergeant for so long now, that I'll need some help with learning to be your father again." John admitted as he shifted the cup nervously between his fingers.

"Listen Dean, if you feel like Sammy is becoming overwhelmed by the pressures of the hunt, then you can always bring him back here to get a break from the hunting life. You boys will always have a room here to call your own no matter what." Bobby asserted before taking a long sip of his own coffee. "And as far as your idjit of a father is concerned, he steps out of line, you just let me know and I'll carry through on that threat to fill his ass with a load of buckshot."

"Yeah, thanks." Dean replied with a grin, knowing that Bobby meant every word, even if it was said in jest. Turning his attention back to his father once again, he looked him in the eye and said, "I'm willing to give you another chance as long as Sammy agrees to it, but I swear to you Dad, if you hurt him that bad again, well…let's just say I won't be responsible for my actions."

"I hear you son and I understand. Like I told you on the phone earlier, I'm willing to follow your lead where Sammy is concerned. Just give me the chance to prove that I can be the father you boys deserve." John stated once again.

"I'll talk with Sammy as soon as he wakes up and I'll give you our decision then." Dean informed his father before pushing away from the table to go back upstairs and check on his brother. Besides, he wanted some time to think about what had been said, especially after hearing the sincerity in his Dad's voice, maybe the man really was willing to change.

Walking into the bedroom, he sat down beside Sam's bed and brushed the errant bags away from his brother's eyes. He looked so innocent in sleep that he wished he could just hide him away forever, but he knew he'd have to talk with Sam about everything that had been discussed. Sam had the right to make the decision as to what road their lives should take since it was his life that would be affected most. All he wanted at this point was for his brother to be happy.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing by you kiddo." Dean whispered with a sigh as he watched Sam sleep. He couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them now.

**TBC**


	20. Chapter 20

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 20**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"I hope I'm doing the right thing by you kiddo." Dean whispered with a sigh as he watched Sam sleep. He couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them now._

Feeling the distinct sensation of being watched, Sam awoke a few hours later to see Dean sitting in a chair beside his bed and watching over him. He could tell by the intense look in Dean's eyes that his brother had a lot on his mind and wondered what could have happened after his latest vertigo attack. His mind was fuzzy about everything that occurred after admitting to Dean that he was having another attack, and he really wanted to know what happened. He was about to ask his brother, when Dean spoke up first.

"Hey kiddo, how ya feeling?" Dean queried as he watched Sammy's eyes finally focus on him after awaking. Reaching out to smooth the hair away from Sammy's eyes, he was concerned by the quizzical look he saw in them but knew that his brother would talk to him about whatever was bothering him when he was ready.

"M'okay I guess. I don't remember much after the attack though." Sam replied as he reached a hand up to his aching head, glad that his hearing seemed to be normal today.

"That's understandable." Dean retorted as he grasped the bottle of Tylenol off the small dresser and shook a couple of pills into his hand. Handing his brother the pain medication to take with a glass of water, he said, "Tell me what you do remember and I'll fill in the rest for you."

"I remember talking on the porch with Dad and he uh, he mentioned once again about wondering how I could do something so st-stupid." Sam replied as he chewed his bottom lip, hating the fact that his dad still thought he was a drug addict or something.

"Whoa, hold it right there kiddo, I think you somehow totally misunderstood what Dad had to say." Dean informed his younger sibling. He wasn't willing to allow Sammy to continue believing his dad was disgusted with him, even if he, himself was still upset with the man.

"Dean, I heard him say…"

"Sammy, didn't you tell me you were having trouble with your hearing yesterday before Dad showed up?" Dean asked with a quirk of his eyebrows as he cut his brother off mid sentence.

"Yeah, but…"

"But what kiddo? With the way you were missing snatches of conversations earlier, don't you think you could have missed out on some important parts of what Dad was saying? Dean questioned as he sat down in front of Sam with a pointed look.

"Yeah, I guess." Sam admitted as he thought about what Dean had to said. "But if I heard him wrong, then exactly what did he say?" Sammy asked, needing to know.

"He finally admitted that he was an ass. He said he was sorry for accusing you and that he should have known you were too smart to do something so stupid as take drugs." Dean replied succinctly. "The old man even said that he loved us believe it or not."

"Wh-what?" Sam asked with a look of shocked disbelief on his face. He could count on one hand the times he remembered his dad imparting those words to him and Dean.

"You heard me right kiddo. The mighty John Winchester finally admitted he was wrong and that he loves us and that he wants us to give him a chance again to be a better father."

Afraid to believe that maybe his dad was finally changing for the better, Sam looked up at Dean. "Do you think he was being sincere, I mean, did he sound like he really meant what he said?"

"Yeah Sport, I think he did." Dean answered as he placed a hand on Sam's knee and gave it a firm squeeze. "Listen up kiddo, I know you really want us to be a family again and I'm willing to give him another chance if that's what you want. You just think about it for a little while, make absolutely sure it's what you want, and then I'll go talk to him."

"Thanks Dean." Sam voiced gratefully. He knew Dean had reservations about allowing their Dad back into their lives, but he felt the man did deserve a second chance, after all, he was their father. And even if he didn't want like it, he could understand his dad reacting the way he did after having lost a brother to a drug overdose all those years ago.

"No sweat dude. You just let me know what you decide when I come back from taking a shower." Dean told his brother before standing up to leave the room. As he walked to the small shower down the hall, he hoped he wouldn't regret his decision in the long run.

* * *

Sitting in Bobby's kitchen with a cup of strong coffee in his hands, John wondered what his boys were talking about. He could hear the sounds of their voices drifting down the stairs, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He could only hope that Dean was talking with Sammy about the words they had spoken earlier. He really wanted a second chance with his boys and it was basically in Sam's hands to decide whether or not he would get that chance. Thrumming his fingers nervously on the table, he glanced up the stairs wishing that his boys would make an appearance.

"Damn it John, would you stop that? You're driving me crazy here." Bobby touted as he gave the hunter an exasperated look.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" John asked as he unconsciously kept up the nervous motion with his finger tips striking the table top.

"Thrumming your damn fingers." Bobby answered as he nodded towards the table with an eye roll.

"Oh sorry, I'm just a little anxious." Admitted a flustered John as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"A little anxious, hell man, you're shaking the whole damn table." Bobby pointed out as the coffee sloshed around in his cup.

"I can't help it, I'm scared Bobby. I don't know what I'll do if the boys decide they don't want me in their lives anymore." John voiced just above a whisper, afraid that if he spoke the words louder that they might somehow come true. The boys were his last connection to his beloved wife Mary and he couldn't survive without them in his life.

"Then you need to start acting like a father to them ya stupid idjit. You've been hunting for so long now John, that you don't realize you've become their drill sergeant instead of their father. You've lost view of what's most important in your life and you treat those boys like they're soldiers instead of your own sons. When was the last time you actually celebrated one of their birthdays or even spent Christmas with them? They may be grown John, but they still need to know you value them as your kids and not just a couple of grunts that you can order around." Bobby expressed with conviction. Somebody needed to point out to John where he had went wrong and he figured he might as well be the one to do it.

"I know you're right, that I messed up where they're concerned and, honestly, I couldn't blame them if they didn't want me around, but I can't live without them. They're the only good things I have left in my life." John attested to the man who had been his mentor when first learning to hunt.

"Then why in the hell don't you tell them that, or even better yet…show them?" Bobby asked as he slammed a hand down on the table to get his point across. "John, I'm not saying that you have to tell the boys you love them every day, but it would be nice for them to hear it at least once in a while. You damned Winchesters are so stubborn, that you refuse to let your emotions show where each other is concerned and look where it's got ya. It's come back to bite you in the ass."

John could only hang his head in agreement at hearing Bobby's reprimand. He hadn't realized just how true those words were until he had heard them said aloud. He _had_ always expected his boys to suck it up and fall in line when ordered to do so. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had told his boys he loved them before this mess with Sammy happened. Well, things were about to change in that regard if he had anything to say about it.

"Once again, you're right Bobby. But I will promise you that I'll do my best to make sure those boys know they mean the world to me from now on. And if I ever lose sight of that fact, you have my spoken permission to give me a good swift kick in the butt to get me back on track." John told the man sitting before him.

"Don't think I won't do exactly that John. Those boys mean the world to me too and I'll be damned if I let you hurt them this bad ever again." Bobby replied in a no nonsense way so that John would know he meant every word he had said. He loved those boys like they were his own sons and as such, he would make sure they were taken care of properly from now on.

* * *

Finishing up with his shower, Dean dried off and then wrapped a towel around his waist before striding back down the hall to the bedroom where his brother was. He had no doubt Sam had thought about the things they had discussed earlier and he was fairly certain he knew what Sam's decision would be, but he had to hear the words coming from his brother's mouth to be certain. Pushing open the door, he waltzed over to his duffle bag which lay at the foot of his bed. Rifling through the contents, he pulled out a dark blue t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans and his boxers. Throwing off the towel, he quickly dressed and then walked over to the bed where his brother lay resting.

"Sammy, have you made a decision about what you want to do as far as Dad is concerned?" Dean asked as he sat on the edge of the mattress so that he could pull on his socks and boots.

"Yeah Dean, I have." Sam answered as he went on to inform his brother of the decision he had made and why he did so.

"Okay Kiddo, I guess it's time to go tell Dad our decision then." Dean stated as he stood up and then waited for his brother to climb out of the bed and pull on a pair of blue jeans. Wrapping a supportive arm around his brother's shoulders, Dean led Sam out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen where he knew his dad sat waiting. Arriving at the bottom of the steps, the brothers glanced at their father to see him looking at them with hope, but also with a little bit of fear in his eyes.

Clearing his throat, Dean said, "Dad, we've came to a decision."

**TBC**


	21. Chapter 21

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 21**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_Clearing his throat, Dean said, "Dad, we've came to a decision."_

"I'm listening." John replied as his fingers once again began to nervously tap on the table. He couldn't help but wonder if his world was about to come crashing down on him.

"After careful consideration, Sam and I've decided that we're willing to give you another chance. Don't get me wrong, we both still have reservations about leaving to go with you on the hunt again, but Sammy is right about one thing, we do work better as a family." Dean announced candidly.

Closing his eyes with a quick whispered thanks to Mary, John took a deep breath and then looked at his sons. "I don't know what to say. God, I can't even describe how happy you boys have made me right now." John voiced as a silent tear rolled down his cheeks. "I felt like my world was crashing down around me without you two in it. You two are the reason I get up in the mornings."

"Those are all nice words Dad, but that's all they are…words. It's going to take more than just a few kind words to prove you've changed. You're actions over the next few weeks will make the final decision as to whether we stay together or not." Dean vocalized as he watched his dad closely for signs of a negative reaction.

Knowing now was as good a time as any, Sam wanted to make sure his dad knew where he stood also. "Da'ad, I want us to be together again as a family, I do. I've missed having you around for the past few days even after everything that's happened. But I'm not your br-brother and you had no right forcing his issues onto me. I didn't deserve to be treated the way you treated me in front of Joshua."

"Sammy, I…"

"No dad. Let me finish. Like I told Dean, I am willing to give you another chance, because you're our father and because it's the right thing to do. But if you ever treat me in such a disgusting way again, you'll never lay eyes on me again from that point on. You have no idea how degrading it was for me to be strip searched in front of Josh because you thought I was doing drugs. I tr-tried to tell you that you were wrong, but you refused to listen. Hell Dad, you've never listened to anything I had to say."

John hung his head as he listened to the words his son was saying. He couldn't deny any of the spiel because he knew every word of it was true. He had stripped Sam of his dignity by making him disrobe in front of Joshua and he'd never forgive himself for that. He also knew that he rarely listened to anything his youngest had to say, merely dismissing his opinions without ever giving them merit.

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Sam took a moment to get the rest of his thoughts together. "I can't live like that anymore Dad. If you can't treat me as a responsible and valued member of this family, then tell me now. I'd rather leave while my heart is still intact than stay and be treated like some insubordinate nothing."

John started to bristle at the thought of Sam placing conditions on him, but then he realized it was his own fault that his youngest felt the need to say the words. "Sammy, I know that saying I'm sorry doesn't nearly make up for everything I've done to you, but I am so very sorry son. And I can swear that I will never treat you that way again, but like Dean said, they're just words. I can promise you this though, I'll do my very best to make sure you never feel worthless or demeaned by me ever again. I want you boys in my life and I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen." John stated as sincerely as he could.

"Yeah, we'll we're gonna hold you to that Dad." Dean said as he pulled out a chair and motioned for Sammy to sit before pulling out another for himself. Taking a seat, he wondered if his dad would still mean his words after what he was about to say. "I guess if we're going to do this then, there's something important you need to know before we go back out on the hunt."

"Okay." John voiced hesitantly upon seeing the nervous look upon Sam's face. He knew whatever Dean was about to say, that it had to be serious.

"Dad, Sammy has been having hearing issues over the past week." Dean informed his father as he placed his forearms on the table, his hands clasped together.

"What? What do you mean Sam's been having hearing issues?" John queried anxiously as he looked from one son to the other for an explanation.

"It's a complication of the Meniere's disease. Sometimes before and after an attack, he has trouble hearing everything that's said to him because of hearing fluctuations. Sometimes it's just a few words, at other times, he misses whole snatches of conversation going on around him. That's kind of what happened earlier today." Dean replied in answer to John's question.

"What do you mean, Dean?" Bobby asked, entering into the conversation. He knew something more had been going on with the way Sam seemed to regress within himself at times.

"That's what brought on the full attack earlier. Sam became overstressed because he thought Dad still believed he was taking drugs. He only heard part of what Dad said, and unfortunately, it was the wrong part."

"Son of a bitch, I didn't know." John gasped as the full consequences of the disease hit him. Not only was his baby suffering severe vertigo attacks, he was having to deal with hearing loss too.

"Well if you had paid attention to Sam's doctor when he was talking instead of demanding he do a drug screening on Sam, you would have heard Dr. Wilson clearly explain that Sammy would suffer some hearing fluctuations when he was in the hospital." Dean retorted, his anger building again.

"Dean, please, just let it go." Sam pleaded as he reached out to place a calming hand on Dean's arm. The last thing he wasn't wa for his family to be fighting again because of him.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Dean turned to his baby brother. "It's okay Sammy, I'm not mad. I just want to make sure Dad know what he's facing now. There will be times when the hunt has to take a back seat to your condition, and if he's not willing to accept that, then he can tell us now and hit the road."

"Dean, I know you have anger and trust issues with me right now and honestly, I can understand that after everything that's happened. I know you believe that as soon as a hunt comes along, that I will fall right back into old habits and that Sammy, and you, will pay the price. But son, all I ask is that you give me the chance to prove that notion wrong and to earn your trust again. I can't do it unless you boys are willing to take a chance on me too.

"You damn well better prove me wrong Dad. Don't make me regret giving you a second chance, because I can promise you whole heartedly that you won't get a third." Dean replied tersely.

"Understood." John intoned, knowing he had to agree with the conditions set forth for now or all bets were off.

"Okay then. Now that we're all on the same page, I guess the next question is, where do we go from here?" Dean asked as he rubbed the kinks out of the muscles in his neck. He had thought for sure there would be more of a showdown since his dad wasn't usually so passive, and his muscles had tensed and tightened waiting for the explosion.

"Well, if it's okay with Bobby, I think we should spend another few days here to make sure Sam has the time to rest and recuperate from this latest attack. And when he feels ready, then we'll start looking for a new hunt." John answered, wanting to show Dean that he actually was trying to make a change for the better.

"Hell John, you know I don't have a problem with you and the boys staying here, that's a given. But I do want to make sure that Sam and Dean are comfortable with _you_ being here." Bobby replied openly. When it came to the boys and their welfare, he didn't pull his punches.

"I don't mind Bobby, Dad can stay." Sam told the hunter who was so much like a second father to him and Dean. He knew he had to get used to having his dad around again so why not start with the present. Besides, he had Dean and Bobby there to support him just in case.

"Yeah, it's fine with me too." Dean agreed following Sam's lead. Besides, it would allow him to keep a close eye on his dad and any plans the man put into place, especially where he and Sammy were concerned.

"Then it's settled. John you can use the spare room in the back since the bedroom across from the boys room is housing some of my old tomes right now." Bobby asserted since he wasn't totally comfortable with John being right across the hall from the boys just yet. He was worried it would put added stress on Sam and keep the kid from sleeping at night.

"Thanks Bobby, I'll go and get my things." John stated as he finished the last of his coffee and then stood up. He had a feeling Bobby was using the tomes as an excuse to keep him out of his usual room, but he would take what he could get right now as long as it kept him in the same house as his boys.

**TBC** _Sorry, I know this chapter is short, but it seemed like the right place to stop._


	22. Chapter 22

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 22**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"Thanks Bobby, I'll go and get my things." John stated as he finished the last of his coffee and then stood up. He had a feeling Bobby was using the tomes as an excuse to keep him out of his usual room, but he would take what he could get right now as long as it kept him in the same house as his boys._

Awaking early the next morning, Sam eased out of his bed to keep from waking Dean. He knew his brother was extremely tired after sitting by his bed half the night. He had woke up gasping in the middle of the night after suffering a night terror and Dean had been there by his side within seconds to comfort him. He had told Dean that he was alright, to go back to bed, but Dean refused to listen and sat by his side, comfortingly carding fingers through his hair until he had faded off to sleep once again.

Tiptoeing across the floor, he opened the door slowly to keep it from creaking and then slipped out the door. He was feeling hungry this morning and decided to get a bowl of cereal while everyone else slept, it had been a while since he actually had any time to himself. Treading lightly down the steps and into the kitchen, he froze at the sight of his dad sitting at the table and contemplated turning around and going back upstairs.

"Morning Sammy, you're up early." John stated in a soft voice as he placed the newspaper he was reading down on the table and smiled at his son. He could tell that his youngest was skittish at being in the same room with him alone.

"Yes S-sir." Sam stammered as he chewed on his bottom lip, wishing that he had woken Dean up. He wasn't entirely comfortable being alone with his father yet.

"You hungry kiddo? I could make you some pancakes and sausage for breakfast, I know they're your favorites." John volunteered hoping Sam would at least think about the offer.

"Th-that's okay, I was just going to get some c-cereal." Sam replied as he started towards the cabinet to pull out a bowl. He knew Bobby had some Lucky Charms in the pantry and he would just get a bowl of those and eat quickly and then go back upstairs.

"Please Sammy, let me do this for you." John pleaded as he gazed at his last precious gift from Mary. "I just want to talk to you for a little while. We're never going to get comfortable with each other if we don't at least start talking."

"Okay, I guess." Sam replied a little hesitantly as he pulled up a chair and sat at the table.

"Will blueberry pancakes be okay son?" John asked as he pulled the mix from the pantry. Upon receiving an affirmative answer, John went about to gathering the ingredients and mixing them up in a bowl after he put on an apron to protect his clothing. Pouring the batter into a hot skillet, he decided to try and initiate a conversation with his youngest. "So, uh, what are your plans for today son? Do you and Dean have anything planned?"

"No Sir, I just thought I'd help translate some of Bobby's old Latin texts." Sam answered a little warily wondering what his dad was up to with his questioning.

"That doesn't sound like any fun Sam. You need to take a small break away from hunting, at least until your back to full strength." John said as he flipped the pancake in the skillet. "You know Bobby has that pond out back that's well stocked with fish. Why don't you and Dean go do a little fishing, I'll help Bobby with his translations."

"Christo." Sam voiced in disbelief that his father was actually trying to get him to do something normal for a change. He couldn't remember the last time his dad had mentioned taking a break away from hunting.

"I'm not possessed kiddo." John smiled as he placed the pancake on a plate and then sat it in front of Sam. "I'm just worried about you son. I've seen how the vertigo attacks leave you exhausted. I just want you to relax for a while and enjoy yourself."

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Dean iterated as he walked down the steps. He had woke up and went in search of Sam to make sure he was okay since he wasn't in their room. He had been surprised when he approached the top of the steps to hear his dad and Sam talking in the kitchen below, more so, to hear what they were talking about. The old man was actually trying to put Sam first for a change. "What do you say Sammy, just you and me with a couple of poles and a bucket of worms?" Dean queried as he raised his eyebrows in hope.

"Sounds great, I'd really like that Dean." Sam replied, his smile so big that it showcased the dimples in his cheeks.

"Fantastic! Just as soon as Dad makes me a few of those pancakes so I can eat too, we'll be on our way." Dean enthused as he rubbed his palms together in anticipation of the day.

"Do I look like Betty Crocker to you?" John asked as he held up the mixing spoon and threatened Dean with it.

"Actually Dad, you do." Sam replied with an honest to goodness giggle at seeing his father with pancake mix encrusted on his arms and his apron, a rare sight in the Winchester household.

"Thanks a lot Tiger." John grumbled innocuously, as he smiled himself. It felt so good to see his child laughing again.

* * *

The next two weeks seem to fly by as the boys enjoyed doing average everyday things while Sam and Dean got used to having their father around. Bobby was glad to see the family finally reconnecting and doing things together. He just hoped John would continue to live up to his end of the bargain because he didn't want to see the day come when the small family unit shattered again.

Sitting at the table one day while reading the paper, John happened upon an article that he felt would be right up their road for Sam's first return back to the hunt. Apparently a trenti demon had been haunting the wooded parks of Battle Creek, Iowa. The diminutive demon was mainly a prankster and was terrifying the local female population by jumping out of bushes and pulling down their skirts or hiking up their dresses. Since the demon wasn't known to be malicious, he thought it would be their safest bet to see how Sam handled being on the hunt again.

Later that night as they enjoyed their evening meal, John decided it was time to broach the subject of the hunt. Playing with the spaghetti on his plate by twirling it around with a fork, he said, "Hey boys, I've been thinking."

"Oh no, that can't be good." Dean retorted before shoving some of the spaghetti into his mouth with his own fork.

"About what Dad?" Sam inquired as he kicked Dean under the table for his remark, causing his brother to make an _"oomph" _sound.

"I was thinking maybe it's time we get back to the hunt." John answered readying himself for the imminent explosion he knew was coming from Dean while trying not to pay attention to the glare Bobby was throwing his way.

"What the hell did you just say?" Dean boomed as he slammed his fists down on the table. "Are you freaking crazy Dad. You know that Sammy is still recovering from…"

"Just hear me out Dean." John shouted over his eldest son's ranting. Waiting for Dean to calm himself a little, he went on to explain the hunt. "I know that Sam's not ready for anything major just yet. I thought he could get back into the swing of things by taking on a hunt for a trenti demon."

"Now I know you're crazy if you think Sam is ready to handle a demon you bastard." Dean said as he stood up angrily.

"Dean, you need to calm yourself right now." Bobby ordered as he nodded his head towards Sam who was chewing on his bottom lip and was evidently becoming upset with the confrontation.

"Sorry." Dean voiced as he took a few deep breaths to compose himself once again. Looking towards Sam, he shot him an apologetic look before returning his focus to his father. "Dad, I just need to know why you think Sam is ready to hunt a demon?"

"Dean, this demon isn't a malicious or destructive one. It's main focus in life seems to be annoying people. I think this would be the perfect hunt for Sam to get his "hunting feet" wet again." John explained calmly as he looked at both his sons. "Do you honestly think I would want to start him out on a hunt that would put too much stress on him Dean? I'm not that much of a bastard ya know."

"Yeah, well you couldn't prove it by me sometimes." Dean retorted under his breath.

"Dean, it's okay. I'm ready to try hunting again." Sam broke in to stave off another argument. He knew they couldn't live a normal life forever and that sooner or later they would have to get back to the hunt. If not, Dean could end up hating him for keeping him away from something he loved to do.

"Sammy, I don't think…"

"No Dean, I want to do this. Besides, Dad is right. This hunt would be a good one to get back into the swing of things." Sam stated as he cut his brother off mid sentence.

"Okay Sam, if you're sure. But I want you to promise to tell me if you start feeling the least little bit uncomfortable. I don't want you having an attack right in the middle of the hunt." Dean touted.

"I promise, but it's not like you aren't going to be right there beside me watching my every move anyway." Sam informed his brother with a roll of his eyes.''

"You're damned straight" Dean voiced with a grin as he reached over to ruffle his little brother's hair. Turning to face his father, he said, "Okay, we'll do this hunt. But if I think Sam's not ready for it, then we stop right then and there, no matter what.

"Agreed, I don't want to risk Sam's life or health anymore than you do Dean." John said, secretly relieved that Dean hadn't fought him anymore than he had. The rest of the dinner was spent with John relaying the information he had found on the hunt to the others and Bobby filling in what information he had on the little demons and their habits.

By the time dinner was finished, it was agreed that Bobby would accompany them on the hunt for safety purposes so that if things happened to go south, Sam would be protected from three sides. They knew that they would have trouble drawing the demon out since there wasn't a woman among them, but the demon had been known to yank men's pants down a time or two also when it became bored.

"Well, if we're going to do this hunt tomorrow, I think it's time for everybody to hit the sack." Bobby stated even thought it was only ten o'clock, wanting to make sure the boys were well rested for the hunt. He knew Sam hadn't slept well the night before from the conversation he heard drifting down the hallway to his room in the middle of the night.

"Sounds good, I'm tired." Sam agreed with a yawn as he stood up to excuse himself from the table. He really could use the sleep. He wasn't surprised when Dean stood up and excused himself for the night too. His brother really was an over protective mother hen.

**TBC **


	23. Chapter 23

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 23**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the late update, I've been bowling in our city tournament all weekend. **Warning for language!**

* * *

**Previously: **_"Well, if we're going to do this hunt tomorrow, I think it's time for everybody to hit the sack." Bobby stated even thought it was only ten o'clock, wanting to make sure the boys were well rested for the hunt. _

Later the next morning as he drove down the highway towards Battle Creek Iowa, John silently prayed that he hadn't made a bad decision about asking the boys to go on this hunt with him. He knew if Sam was injured in any way during the hunt, that Dean would never forgive him. But he also knew he couldn't give up the hunt anymore than he could stop breathing and still live. Hunting was in his blood now and it's all he knew how to do. He could never go back to the life of a mechanic and be happy, he had to find the demon that killed Mary and dispose of it once and for all.

Glancing into the rearview mirror, he could see the shiny, black Impala following him and he had to swallow the lump it brought up in his throat to know that the two things he valued most in life were riding in the muscle car. His son's were the only thing he had left of his wife now and he couldn't lose them. Thinking about his sons, he couldn't help but envy the bond his boys shared and wished he could be a part of that solid connection, instead of on the outside looking in.

"Hey John, I'll give you a dollar for your thoughts." Bobby voiced aloud to break the silence in the truck. He could tell that John's mind was elsewhere and wondered what he was thinking about.

"Huh?" John asked with surprise, realizing that Bobby had asked a question.

"Nothing, I was just wondering what has you so preoccupied when your mind should be focused on driving." Bobby stated as he watched John check the rearview mirror once again.

"Yeah, sorry about that." John apologized as he scrubbed a calloused hand through his beard. "I was just thinking about the hunt ahead. What if I'm wrong about this hunt and something unforeseen happens? I can't lose my boys Bobby. I can't go through that again."

"I don't know what to say to you John. I knew this moment would come sooner or later since hunting has been such a big part of your lives for so long. And yeah, I'm worried that it might be too soon to jump back into the hunt, especially for Sam, but the longer you put it off, the more dangerous it could be for both boys. They could become complacent and lax in their skills which would eventually make them an easier target for the yellow eyed demon." Bobby replied, knowing the Winchesters were basically between that proverbial rock and a hard place.

"That's exactly what I've been worried about." John voiced as he scrubbed a calloused hand through his dark hair. "That's why I needed to get my boys back into the hunt, but what if Sammy gets hu…no, never mind, that's not going to happen. I'd give my life for that kid before I let him get hurt on the hunt again."

"All of us would John, all of us would." Bobby intoned with determination in his voice. He loved those boys like his own and would willingly give his life for them in a heartbeat.

* * *

Arriving at the small town of Battle Creek, Iowa just a few short hours later, John parked his truck near the entrance to the nature and recreation area where most of the attacks by the trenti demon had taken place. Glancing around, he could see that the park encompassed a lake and wooded area where people could hike or jog along scenic paths. Climbing out of his truck, he and Bobby walked to the back of the vehicle and surreptitiously looked around to check for onlookers before opening the lockbox where the weapons were stored. Pulling out a couple of revolvers loaded with iron rounds that were laced in holy water, John shoved one into the pocket of his jacket before handing another over to Bobby while his boys grabbed weapons of their own from the trunk of the Impala after having parked beside them. Walking over and placing a firm hand on Sammy's shoulder, he asked, "Are you sure you're ready for this boy?"

"Yes Sir." Sam answered as he placed a silver knife in the sheath strapped to his leg before accepting a flask of holy water from Dean and placing it in his pocket. He watched as his brother pulled a revolver from their weapons cache and placed it in the back of his jeans before closing up the trunk.

"Well then, let's get this show on the road." John retorted as he took the lead and guided the small group of hunters into the forested area of the park. Following the route where most of the attacks had occurred, John and the others slowed down as they neared an area where the brush became dense on both sides of the trail knowing it would be the most likely hiding spot for the demon. "Look alive boys." John whispered with the knowledge that the demon could appear at any time.

Scanning the brush closely, John looked for signs that the demon could be near. He knew the imp like creature would be hard to spot because it's body would blend in with the brush since it basically resembled moss. Therefore, he needed to watch for movement in the bushes or the tell tale sign of the demon's piercing green eyes.

"Whoa, what was that." Dean gasped as something zipped by him in the blink of an eye. It was moving so fast, that he couldn't be sure he wasn't just imagining things.

"What was what?" Bobby queried anxiously as he moved in closer to Sam to protect the youngest of their group.

"Damn it, I could have sworn I saw something, but now…." Dean answered, unsure of himself just as the blur flashed by again. "There, did you see that?"

"Son of a bitch, where the hell did the thing go?" John asked as the turned around in a full circle looking for the speedy diminutive demon.

"How the hell am I supposed to know." Dean answered as he moved in closer to Sam also. "That little sucker is fast."

"John look out." Bobby called out in warning just before John felt something grasp at the front of his jeans and felt them loosen at the waist.

"Damn it, shoot the freaking thing." John bellowed as he suddenly found his pants tugged down to his knees, exposing his gray boxers. His face glowed a bright red as he tried to pull his pants back up quickly, but stumbled and fell on his behind. He couldn't believe the demon had managed to de-pant him in front of his own boys.

"Don't ya think I'm trying ya idjit." Bobby called out as he surveyed the area, revolver held at the ready, for the trenti demon.

"Hey dad, don't ya think it's time to quit streaking around and help us catch this thing." Dean quipped with a broad smile as he watched his dad struggle back to his feet.

"Dean, this isn't the time for your stupid jokes." John grumbled just as he saw the blur streaking past him. He didn't have time to call out a warning before he watched in amazement as the demon managed to tug Dean's pants down to his ankles too. His eyes grew wide upon realizing that his oldest was going commando.

"Son of a bitch." Dean yelled as he felt his pants being lowered by the supernatural creature. He hadn't had the time to wash his clothes and had to go commando during the hunt because he didn't have any clean underwear. Suddenly hearing the sound of giggling, he turned around to see Sam laughing. "And just what do you think is so funny?" He asked as he placed his hand on his naked hips.

"Noth-nothing." Sam snickered as he tried to stifle his laughs at watching both his dad and Dean suffer in embarrassment. He was just about to say something else, when two female joggers came around the bend causing the hunters to quickly hide their weapons.

"Oh My!" One of the ladies stated with a wistful sigh as she took in an eyeful scanning Dean from head to toe and then looking at John sitting there in his boxers. "What a shame, all the good looking men seem to be either married or gay."

"Yeah, isn't that the truth." Her friend stated as she, too, marveled at the sight of the two nearly naked men. "Oh well, carry on boys." She stated with a huge grin before making her way past the small group and jogging further down the trail with her friend.

"Damn, that's just my luck, being caught with my pants down in front of two hot women and they think I'm gay." Dean swore as he reached down to pull up his jeans.

"Dean, don't you think we've got more important things to worry about than your libido." Bobby groused, before pulling off his trucker's cap and smacking Dean up alongside his head with it.

"What? What did I say?" Dean asked innocently as he finished hauling up his jeans and snapped them at the waist.

"Never mind." John answered as he too managed to secure his pants around his waist before pulling out his gun once more. That damn demon was going down. Catching sight of the brush moving off to his left, John aimed his gun ahead and quickly fired. He was rewarded with the sound of an ear piercing wail as the demon stumbled and fell into view. "Quick Sammy, douse him with the holy water." John called out to his youngest.

Pulling the silver flask from his pocket, Sam uncapped it and then swept the flask in a wide sweeping arc, watching as the water hit the demon making it's body sizzle. He wasn't surprised to hear Bobby beginning to cite an exorcism.

"_Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomine et virtute Domini Nostri Jesu + Christi, eradicare et effugare a Dei Ecclesia, ab animabus ad imaginem Dei conditis ac pretioso divini Agni sanguine redemptis" _Bobby began as he tuned out the loud, screeching sound coming from the demon's mouth. He could hear it threatening to kill each and everyone of them, but kept reciting the words of the Latin exorcism. _"Deus prÃ¦ter te, nec esse potest nisi tu creator omnium visibilium et invisibilium, cujus regni non erit finis: humiliter majestati gloriÃ¦ tuÃ¦ supplicamus, ut ab omni infernalium spirituum potestate, laqueo, deceptione et nequitia nos potenter liberare, et incolumes custodire digneris. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen."_

The hunters watched in awe as Bobby finished the exorcism and the demon wailed one last time before exploding into a cloud of black dust that hovered above the ground for a few seconds before rapidly vanishing from sight.

"Good Riddance." John stated Vehemently as the demon disintegrated in front of his eyes. This was one hunt he just wanted to forget about. Turning to face his boys, he was happy to see that both were relatively unscathed, well, except for Dean's dignity. "Sammy, you still feeling okay?" He queried, wanting to make sure the stress of the hunt hadn't been too much for him.

"Yes Sir, I'm fine." Sam answered with a smirk. "I wasn't the one who lost my pants."

"Bitch." Dean grumbled as he wrapped an arm around Sam's shoulder and gave him a light hug, happy with the fact that Sam had come out of the hunt in one piece.

"Okay, you two." John voiced with a slight reprimand as he rolled his eyes. "Let's just get the hell out of here. I want to forget this hunt ever happened."

"Guess Dad was embarrassed at literally being caught with his pants down." Dean joked as he nudged Sam in the side.

"You have no room to talk Dean with the way your lily white ass was on display for everyone to see." John retorted, with a jibe of his own.

"Jeez, don't remind me, I think I've been damaged for life from the sight of you two nearly au natural." Bobby complained as he started the procession back towards the park entrance. He was ready to get back home.

**TBC **_**Hope you enjoyed this turn of events during the hunt! I wasn't quite happy with the flow of the chapter, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer.**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Could it be Vertigo Ch. 24**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"Jeez, don't remind me, I think I've been damaged for life from the sight of you two nearly au natural." Bobby complained as he started the procession back towards the park entrance. He was ready to get back home._

The drive back to Singer Salvage passed relatively quickly and the hunters were happy to get back to Bobby's place where they could kick up their feet and relax. Entering the house, Dean and Sam flopped down on the couch while Bobby sat in the recliner and John made himself comfortable in the rocker that Bobby had kept from the time his boys were little.

"Damn, I'm glad that hunt's over." Dean said as he propped his feet up on Bobby's coffee table after kicking off his boots. He never wanted to even think about the hunt again after what had happened.

"Dean, I thought you would have enjoyed that hunt." Sam stated with a sly grin as he looked innocuously at his brother.

"Now why in the hell would you think that Sammy?" Dean questioned incredulously.

"Well, you how many other times are you going to be able to get butt naked with two hot women around at the same time to ogle you?" Sam answered as he started giggling once again at the look on Dean's face.

"Sammy, that is so not funny you little bitch." Dean retorted as he glared at his little brother. "You know damn well those women thought me and Dad were gay and having a little _fun_ out there." Dean informed his brother with a shiver at the repulsive thought.

"Leave the kid alone Dean, you know you should have followed the golden rule about when it comes to hunting." Bobby said, trying to hide the smirk that wanted to make itself known.

"Yeah, and what's that Bobby?" Dean asked the older hunter. He had never heard about any golden rule before.

"Never go on a hunt without ya boxers." Bobby replied before doubling over in laughter.

"I should have known better than to ask." Dean grumbled under his breath as he leaned his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. He had to have been totally exhausted to have let Bobby get one over on him the way he just did. Feeling a blanket placed over him, he opened weary eyes to see his dad tucking the blanket around him. He heard his dad say something about getting some sleep before shifting around and closing his eyes, sleep overtaking him almost immediately.

Grasping another blanket from the hallway closet, John encouraged a fatigued Sam to shift around so that head was resting on Dean's thigh. It was obvious that his youngest was now struggling to hold his eyes open and the kid needed his rest also. Carding his fingers through Sammy's hair once he was settled, he mumbled his thanks to whoever was listening that Sam had come through the hunt in one piece. "Rest peacefully boys" he voiced softly before excusing himself from the room, he was in desperate need of a shower.

* * *

As the following days turned into weeks, John knew it was time for he and his boys to hit the road again. Dean had finally started trusting him with Sam again and even allowed him to help take care of his youngest the few times that Sam had experienced another one of his vertigo attacks. He had hoped the things would eventually stop and cease to exist, but now realized the episodes would be a part of their lives from now on whether he liked it or not. He was thankful that Sam had started recognizing the signs that an attack was about to happen, at least that way they could forgo a hunt and pass it on to someone else to ensure Sam's safety.

Changing the oil in the Impala, he didn't think that Dean would argue with his decision to hit the road again. He could tell that his oldest was becoming just as restless as he was to be in the Impala and driving down the highway once again. There was nothing like the feel of her engine thrumming to calm the restless soul. No, his main worry was Sam. He knew how much his baby boy craved a normal life and he couldn't blame him. Sam had thrived while staying at Bobby's and was much happier. He couldn't help but feel guilty with the knowledge that he was about to ask him to give that life up now. He was so engrossed with his thoughts that he failed to notice his boys approaching.

"Hey Dad, ya fall asleep under there?" Dean queried as he kneeled down to check on his father. He hadn't heard any noises in the past couple of minutes and worried something might have happened.

"What? No, I was just thinking about a few things." John replied as he finished tightening up the oil filter and then made his way out from under the car.

"Thinking? About what?" Sam asked innocently as he handed a beer to his dad since it was an unusually warm day for South Dakota.

Taking a long swig of the PBR to give himself some time to think, John wondered if he should bring up his plans now or wait until dinner time. Deciding there was no time like the present, he decided to voice his thoughts. "About how you boys would feel about hitting the road again." John answered honestly as he looked his boys in the eyes to try and gauge their reactions.

"Dad, I…"

"No Dean, don't say anything yet. I just want you to think about it. I know you boys have probably gote used to staying in one place since you've been here at Bobby's going on three months now, but I can't keep staying here and sitting on my ass while the YED is out there somewhere and torturing more families. I can't let that thing keep doing to other families what it did to ours." John explained, hoping that his sons would understand his reasoning. "I'm planning on leaving by the weekend, and I'll understand if you boy don't want to go but…"

"Dad, I always knew that sooner or later we'd have to get back to the hunt. And even though I never knew mom, I still want to make that demon pay for what he's done." Sam voiced, alleviating his father's worries. "I'll admit I've enjoyed staying here at Bobby's and that I'm going to miss this place, but I'll be ready to go when you and Dean are." Sam said without hesitation. He could tell that his family was getting restless from being in one place for too long and even though he really wanted to stay, he wasn't willing to leave his brother behind just yet. He needed Dean.

Surprised by his brother's words, Dean turned questioning eyes towards him. "Sammy, are you sure? I don't want you doing anything you're not ready for Tiger."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Sam replied with a wide smile. Dean always put him first in everything, well this time, he was returning the favor.

"Fantastic." Dean voiced with enthusiasm as he reached out to ruffle his little brother's hair. He was so tired of staying in once place, but was willing to stay for as long as Sam needed it, even if he felt like he would go freaking crazy at times.

* * *

All too soon the weekend approached and it was time for The Winchesters to hit the road. Bobby was understandably upset about the family leaving and he had no qualms about showing it. "I still don't see why you idjits can't just stay a little while longer. I mean Sam had another one of his episodes just a few days ago and he's still weak." Bobby grumbled as he watched John place their duffle bags in the trunk of the Impala.

"Bobby, Sam's attacks are something he's going to have to deal with for the rest of his life, not to mention me and Dean. We're going to have to learn to adjust to them and the sooner we get started the better." John retorted, looking sadly at his mentor friend. "Look man, I know you're scared that something will happen, but as long as Dean or I am there, nothing bad is going to happen to Sammy.

"You don't know that John. What if Sam has an attack in the middle of a hunt, what then?" Bobby queried as he poked John in the chest with his finger.

"Then we deal with it, but I seriously don't think it will happen. Sam's learned to recognize the signs that an attack is imminent and I'm sure he'll let us know if he isn't up to the hunt." John replied as he placed a hand on the gruff hunter's shoulder to calm him. He didn't blame Bobby for worrying.

Anything Bobby had to say was cut off as he watched Dean and Sam approaching the Impala. Running a hand through his scratchy beard, Bobby looked at Sam with moist eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want boy? You know you can stay here with me for as long as you like." Bobby stated with heartfelt emotion.

"Yeah Bobby, I'm sure. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." Sam answered as he reached out to hug the elder hunter, not caring if Dean would pick at him about the chick flick moment later.

"You better be kid, you better be." Bobby replied as he hugged Sam tightly before releasing him with a smile. Pulling Dean into a quick hug, he muttered, "Don't be strangers."

"We won't." Dean croaked with a smile before clearing his throat. He hadn't planned on being so emotional at the moment, but yeah, he was sad to be leaving Bobby's place too.

Watching as the Winchesters climbed into the car with John behind the wheel, Dean riding shotgun and Sam in the back seat, Bobby leaned into the open window on Dean's side. "You idjits better take care of the kid or I swear I'll hunt you down and kick you asses from here to kingdom come."

"With our lives Bobby, with our lives." John answered sincerely with a glance in the rearview mirror towards the backseat. He had messed up once with Sam and it had nearly caused him both his boys, he would never make that mistake again. Shifting the gear into reverse, he waited for Bobby to back away from the window and then slowly backed out of the drive. He couldn't help but feel guilty noticing the tears in the man's eyes as he threw his hand up in a goodbye gesture.

As Bobby watched the Impala until it was out of sight, he could only hope and pray that the Winchesters had made the right decision in going back to the hunt so soon. Walking back towards the house with a sigh, he hated knowing that the place was going to seem lonely now without the boys to liven up his days.

**The END **

Thank you ST for allowing me to use your line about the Hunter's Golden Rule

_**Just in case you are interested, I am already hard at work on a sequel which jumps a few years into the future where Sam and his family deal with the effects of Meniere's Disease. The story will be called: The Effects of Vertigo and the first chapter should be posted by Thursday night if not before.**_


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